JP6165124B2 - Powder cassette and cassette opening / closing jig - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cylindrical powder cassette that can store powder, and more specifically, a so-called horizontal cylinder that sequentially transfers powder by holding and rotating the powder cassette containing powder in a horizontal direction in the cylindrical axis direction. The present invention relates to a powder cassette that can be attached to and detached from a cassette rotation type powder supply device. The present invention also relates to a cassette opening / closing jig used for opening / closing such a powder cassette.

  Unlike simple powder bottles and powder containers that leave the stored powder to be taken out to the public, the powder cassette is attached to the powder supply device to send out the stored powder, and the typical use of the powder supply device is A powder feeder that is incorporated into or attached to a powder dispenser, and the powder dispenser divides the prescription total amount of medicine into one package (one dose, one dose) And a packaging device that encloses the powder in each compartment while partitioning the wrapping paper (packaging band), and divides the powder or granular powder from the powder supply device into the input hopper of the packaging device Each is fed and packaged (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4).

In addition, as a general configuration example of such a powder supply device, there is a distribution division type, but the distribution division type is a relatively simple and manual distribution direction in which divided masses are arranged in a straight line in the powder distribution area. And a rotation distribution type for automatic distribution in which members arranged in an annular powder distribution area are circulated and rotated.
The latter rotation-distribution-type powder supply device (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3) receives powder powder supplied in a fixed amount or a variable amount little by little, and powder supplied from the powder feeder while rotating. A rotary annular receiving member that distributes and holds the powder evenly, and a dividing mechanism that divides the powder from the rotary annular receiving member one by one and feeds it to the packaging device.

  Examples of the rotary annular receiving member include a powder divider in which a large number of divided mass bodies are arranged in an annular shape (see, for example, Patent Document 1), a turntable having an annular flat mounting surface, and a concave arc shape called an R-groove. A turntable (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3) having an annular saucer having an annular groove is used. When a powder divider that has been partitioned into a large number of divided mass bodies in advance is used for the rotary annular receiving member (see, for example, Patent Document 1), the powder is divided along with the distribution of the powder to the powder divider. Since the divided mass body opens and discharges the bottom surface, it is easy to improve the division accuracy. On the other hand, when an annular mounting surface or an annular tray that is not partitioned in advance is used for the rotary annular receiving member (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3), the powder distributed on the annular mounting surface and the annular tray. Is divided by an arbitrary angle from the annular mounting surface or annular receiving tray by the cutting device, so that the number of divisions can be easily changed.

As another configuration example of the powder supply device, there is a measurement division type that supplies only the necessary amount by measuring the delivery amount while sending the powder from the powder cassette in a fixed amount or in a variable amount little by little. Volume measurement method that calculates the delivery amount from the number of screw rotations, weight measurement method that measures the weight on the sending side or the receiving side (for example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3), and the delivery amount from the image of the powdered powder falling There is a so-called imaging measurement method for calculating (see, for example, Patent Document 4).
The volume measurement method and the weight measurement method alone have been used to divide the powder for each patient instead of dividing the powder for each package because it takes time and cost to accurately measure a small amount of powder. However (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3), the imaging measurement method and the combination method of the imaging measurement method and the weight measurement method are suitable for practical use up to the division of powder by one package (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

The powder cassettes that can be attached to and detached from the powder supply device are roughly divided into two types, one of which is that the powder discharge unit for sequential powder delivery is fixedly and integrally assembled to the container that contains the powder. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3 and Patent Document 4 in FIG. 1), and a movable member for sequential powder delivery such as a container tilting mechanism, a screw, and a drum is incorporated in the powder discharge part and the container part.
And when the powder supply cassette using such a powder cassette is mounted, the powder is sequentially discharged from the powder cassette by tilting the container part or rotating the movable member with the container part fixed. Thus, the sequential discharge of powder is stopped by returning the container part vertically or stopping the shaft rotation of the movable member.

The other powdered cassette is a simple powdered cassette that does not have such an interior movable member (see, for example, Patent Document 4 FIG. 6B). This powder cassette is a container with a bottomed cylindrical container for containing powder, the bottom end face is closed among both ends of the cylindrical part, but the opposite end face is open, the opening A lid that opens and closes the door is detachable.
And the powder supply device using such a powder cassette is designed so that the powder cassette is mounted in the horizontal direction instead of the vertical direction, and when the powder cassette is mounted, the cylindrical powder cassette is turned sideways in the cylindrical axial direction. While holding in a state, the lid is slightly opened and the container is pivoted to allow the powder to fall and discharge little by little even when the movable member is not installed, and in that case, the powder to be discharged along the edge of the opening. It spreads thinly and falls.

JP 59-26403 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-80043 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-114021 JP 2013-48899 A

  As described above, the recently developed horizontal cylindrical cassette rotating powder supply device automatically divides variable quantities and clearly measures each package, and repeats it for each prescription or patient. In addition to inheriting the advantages of the metering split type, which is automated up to powder splitting and does not require a rotary annular receiving member, etc., it is easy to miniaturize, and there is no need to install movable members such as screws in the removable powder cassette As the structure of the powder cassette is simplified, the inside of the cassette can be easily and quickly cleaned, and even if a large number of powder cassettes are arranged on the powder shelf, etc. Can handle powdered medicine. In addition, even if the powder cassette does not have a movable member, the contained powder is collapsing from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical container as the cylindrical container rotates while discharging the powder. Since it is agitated without difficulty, it is possible not only to loosen the lump of powder, but also to send out pre-mixed premixed products without changing or separating the mixing ratio.

However, the cylindrical cassette rotation type powder supply device developed in the early stage (see, for example, Patent Document 4 FIG. 6 (b)) holds the mounted powder cassette in a substantially horizontal state. For this reason, when the powder stored in the powder cassette decreases, there is a first inconvenience that the discharge speed of the powder decreases and the efficiency of powder supply and powder packaging decreases.
Further, the cylindrical rear end portion of the almost horizontal powder cassette is placed on a rotating wheel, and rotational driving is performed by gear engagement between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating wheel and the outer peripheral surface of the powder cassette. For this reason, the second inconvenience that the rotational drive state is affected by the state of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical end portion of the powder cassette and the change in the amount of powder stored in the powder cassette, which also undesirably changes the powder discharge speed. was there.

And as an improvement measure with respect to the 1st inconvenience among such inconveniences, when the cassette holding mechanism of the powder supply device holds the powder cassette and rotates the shaft, the powder cassette is inclined lower on the mouth side than the bottom side. It is conceivable to modify the powder supply device so as to maintain (hereinafter, also referred to as a downwardly inclined posture).
However, if the powder cassette is in a downward-tilting position, the center of gravity of the cassette is close to the mouth side, so the contact force between the cassette rear end and the rotating wheel weakens, and the meshing state becomes unstable and the cassette rear end However, since the powder discharge state and discharge speed may fluctuate undesirably, it is necessary to take measures to strongly improve the second inconvenience described above.

Therefore, it is a basic technical problem to realize a powdered cassette in which the rotation speed does not easily fluctuate even if the shaft is rotated while being held in a downwardly inclined posture.
In addition, a powder cassette that discharges powder by rotating the shaft in a downward-tilting posture has only one mouth (opening), and generally a powder discharge port that is easier to use for a smaller one, and a powder replenishment port that is generally easier to use for a larger one. However, since it is together, it is a further technical issue to improve the practicality by devising the lid and jig for opening and closing the mouth.

The powder cassette of the present invention (Solution 1) was created to solve such a problem,
In a powder cassette comprising a bottomed cylindrical container that can store powder and a lid that opens and closes its mouth,
A hole for axial rotation transmission is formed in the center of the outer bottom surface of the bottomed cylindrical container,
The hole has a cassette holding mechanism for holding the powder cassette in an inclined state lower on the mouth side than the bottom side, an opening / closing mechanism that acts on the lid to open and close the mouth of the powder cassette, and a drive shaft for the powder cassette A rotational drive mechanism for rotating the shaft at a shaft, and an axial loose fit state with respect to the tip of the drive shaft in the powder supply device for rotating the powder cassette and dropping and discharging the powder from its mouth In addition, it is characterized in that it is fitted in a rotational direction locked state.

Moreover, the powder cassette of the present invention (solution 2) is the powder cassette of the above solution 1,
An annular engagement portion (such as an annular groove or a bowl-like overhang) is formed on the outer peripheral surface on the mouth side of the bottomed cylindrical container,
The annular engagement portion is provided in the cassette holding mechanism of the powder supply device, and supports the bottomed cylindrical container from below to prevent the powder cassette from dropping and moving forward with respect to the upper end portion of the support member. Thus, it is characterized in that it engages in a state where the shaft can rotate (such as loose fitting and loose insertion).

  Further, the powder cassette of the present invention is (Solution means 3), the powder cassette of the above-mentioned solution means 2, and when the lid is closed, a latching part for engaging the tip part with the annular engagement part, And a latching biasing means for biasing the tip of the latching portion toward the engagement side.

  Further, the powder cassette of the present invention (Solution means 4) is the powder cassette of the above solution means 1 to 3, wherein the lid includes a disk for closing the mouth, and the outer periphery of the disk The surface and the inner peripheral surface of the mouth are inclined from the central axis by the same angle so as to meet when closed.

  Further, the powder cassette of the present invention is (Solution means 5), the powder cassette of the above solution means 1 to 4, wherein the peripheral edge of the lid is composed of a thick approximately half circumference and a thinner remaining part. Features.

Further, the powder cassette of the present invention (Solution means 6) is the powder cassette of the above solution means 5,
A portion to be detected (such as a mark or an inscription) that can be detected from the outside is provided at a site where the center of the lid is removed,
The test part is configured such that the powder supply device causes the thick peripheral part of the lid to be on the upper side and the thin remaining part to be on the lower side by rotating the cassette while trying to detect the test part. When the mouth of the powder cassette is opened by separating the lower part of the lid from the mouth while bringing the uppermost part of the lid into contact with the mouth, it can be detected by the powder supply device Features.

  Further, the cassette opening / closing jig of the present invention (solving means 7) is a cassette opening / closing jig used for opening / closing the powder cassette of the above-mentioned solving means 3-6, and the latch release of the opening / closing mechanism of the powder supply device is released. When it is brought into contact with the lid in the same manner as the part, it acts on the base end side of the latching part and resists the biasing of the latching biasing means so that the tip of the latching part is separated from the annular engaging part. A latch release portion for separating, a counter lid connection portion that attaches to the lid by engaging with a fixing portion of the lid as well as a counter lid connection portion of the opening / closing mechanism of the powder supply device, and the anti-lid connection portion A connection urging unit that urges the engagement side; and a connection release unit that separates the anti-lid connecting portion from the fixing portion of the lid against the urging of the connection urging unit according to a manual operation. It is characterized by.

In addition, the powder supply system of the present invention (solution 8) includes a powder cassette and a powder supply device, and the powder cassette includes a bottomed cylindrical container that can store the powder and a lid that opens and closes the mouth. The powder supply device comprises a cassette holding mechanism that holds the powder cassette in a tilted state lower on the mouth side than the bottom side, an opening / closing mechanism that acts on the lid to open and close the mouth, In the powder supply system comprising a rotation drive mechanism for rotating the powder cassette around the drive shaft, and rotating the powder cassette to cause the powder to fall and discharge from the mouth,
A hole for shaft rotation transmission is formed at the center of the outer bottom surface of the bottomed cylindrical container, a drive shaft for shaft rotation transmission is provided in the rotation drive mechanism, and a tip end portion of the drive shaft and the hole Are fitted in an axially loosely fitted state and a rotationally locked state,
An annular engaging portion is formed on the mouth-side outer peripheral surface of the bottomed cylindrical container, and a support member that prevents the powder cassette from dropping and moving forward by supporting the bottomed cylindrical container from the bottom is the cassette. It is provided in a holding mechanism, and the upper end portion of the support member and the annular engagement portion are engaged with each other in a state where the shaft can rotate,
The lid includes a peripheral edge portion composed of a thicker half circumference and a thinner remaining portion, a latching portion for engaging the tip portion with the annular engagement portion when closed, and a tip portion of the latching portion And a disc for closing the mouth, and the outer peripheral surface of the disc and the inner peripheral surface of the mouth are matched when closed. It is inclined from the central axis by an angle,
A test portion that can be detected from the outside is provided at a site off the center of the lid, and the lid is thickened by rotating the cassette while the powder supply device tries to detect the test portion. The mouth of the powder cassette is opened by separating the lower part of the lid from the mouth while bringing the uppermost part of the lid into contact with the mouth, with the peripheral part of the lid facing up and the thin remaining part down. It is characterized by being.

Further, the powder supply system of the present invention (solution 9) is the powder supply system of the above solution 8, and includes a cassette opening / closing jig used for opening and closing the powder cassette,
When the cassette opening / closing jig is brought into contact with the lid, it acts on the base end side of the latching portion and resists the biasing force of the latching biasing means so that the tip end portion of the latching portion is in the annular shape. A latch release portion that is separated from the engaging portion, a counter lid connecting portion that is attached to the lid by engaging with the fixing portion of the lid, and a connection biasing means that biases the counter lid connecting portion toward the engaging side. And a connection release part that separates the anti-lid connecting part from the fixing part of the cover against the urging of the connection urging means according to a manual operation,
When the opening / closing mechanism of the powder supply device is brought into contact with the lid in the same manner as the latch release portion, it acts on the base end side of the latch portion to resist the bias of the latch biasing means. A latch release portion that separates the tip of the latch portion from the annular engagement portion, and a counter lid connecting portion that is attached to the lid by engaging with the fixing portion of the lid, similar to the counter lid coupling portion. It is characterized by comprising.

In such a powder cassette of the present invention (Solution 1), the powder cassette and the drive shaft are mechanically locked in the rotational direction, so that the powder cassette is inclined even if it is horizontal. However, if the tip of the drive shaft is fitted in the hole of the powder cassette, the powder cassette reliably rotates in accordance with the drive shaft, so that the position and rotation state of the powder cassette are stabilized.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a powder cassette in which the rotation speed is not easily changed even if the shaft is rotated while being held in a downwardly inclined posture.

  Further, in the powder cassette of the present invention (Solution means 2), the powder cassette can be held by the powder supply device in an inclined state so that the mouth side is lower than the bottom side, and although it is loose fit, the powder cassette As a side effect of inserting the tip of the drive shaft from the rear into the bottom of the powder, the powder cassette attached to the powder supply device may be easily displaced forward, but the mouth side of the bottomed cylindrical container When an annular engagement portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the powder and the annular engagement portion engages with the upper end portion of the support member of the cassette holding mechanism of the powder supply device, the powder cassette is supported in a rotatable state. Since the support member prevents not only the fall but also the forward movement, there is no need to provide a dedicated complex cassette displacement prevention mechanism in front of the powder cassette, and it is simple and accurate. It is possible to prevent the forward position shift.

  Furthermore, in the powdered cassette of the present invention (Solution means 3), the tip of the latching portion provided on the lid is biased toward the engaging side when closed, so that when the powder is discharged, Since the closed state is maintained in the normal state apart from the replenishment, it is possible to accurately prevent the occurrence of an undesired situation such as powder spilling when the cassette is stored in the shelf or when the cassette is removed from the shelf. . In addition, since the necessary engagement is made with respect to the above-described annular engaging portion, the annular engaging portion is used to prevent the cassette from being displaced when attached to the powder supply device, and the cassette is closed when not attached. Since it is used for maintaining the state and effectively used, the cassette structure is simplified for the multi-function, and the manufacturing cost of the cassette is reduced.

  In the powder cassette of the present invention (Solution means 4), the outer peripheral surface of the closing disc provided in the lid and the inner peripheral surface of the mouth of the bottomed cylindrical container are matched when closed. By inclining from the central axis by the same angle, the lid and the mouth are in close contact with each other at the time of closing, so that the closing is performed reliably. In addition, when the powder is discharged by opening it a little, the gap becomes substantially constant in the discharge direction, so that undesirable occurrences such as pinching and clogging of the powder are well suppressed, and there is a lid in the axial direction and opening direction. Compared to the relative movement distance with the bottom cylindrical container, the gap is limited to the projection component corresponding to the inclination, which is convenient for the densification and refinement of the opening / closing control.

  In the powder cassette of the present invention (Solution 5), the peripheral part of the lid is roughly divided into two parts, a thick part and a thin part, so that the abutment is stopped at a thick part that is difficult to deform. If the function of opening a gap for discharging the powder in a thin part that does not obstruct illumination or make a shadow is exhibited, both functions can be demonstrated at the same time.

  Further, in the powder cassette of the present invention (solution 6), when mounted on a powder supply device having a predetermined function, the shaft is rotated, and the test part is detected during the rotation of the shaft. It is held with the thicker edge on top and the thinner rest on the bottom, and then the lid is opened, but the thickest top of the lid contacts the mouth of the bottomed cylindrical container In this state, the lower part of the lid, which is a thin part, is separated from the mouth of the bottomed cylindrical container, so that the above-described operational effects (effects of the solving means 5) are automatically exhibited.

  Further, in the cassette opening / closing jig of the present invention (Solution means 7), since the same member as the latch release part and the anti-lid connecting part employed in the opening / closing mechanism of the powder supply device is provided, The lid can be securely attached to and detached from the bottomed cylindrical container without touching the lid or mouth that easily adheres. In addition, it is normally biased to the closed side, and its release is performed manually, so that it can be opened and closed easily, and the lid removed from the bottomed cylindrical container can also be held with a jig. This can be done indirectly and reliably.

Moreover, in the powdered medicine supply system of this invention (solution means 8), there can exist the effect of all the solution means 1-6 mentioned above.
Furthermore, in the powder supply system of the present invention (solution means 9), all the effects of the solution means 1 to 8 described above can be achieved.

About Example 1 of this invention, the structure of a powder cassette is shown, (a) is a perspective view of the powder cassette with the lid closed, (b) is a perspective view of the powder cassette with the lid removed, (c) is a powder cassette. A bottom view and (d) are elevation views of a bottomed cylindrical container. (A) is the top view and front view of a lid which turned the latching part to right and left, and (b) is the top view and front view of the lid which turned the latching part back and forth. 1 shows the structure and use state of a cassette opening / closing jig according to Example 1 of the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and a front view in a free state with the anti-lid connecting portion facing forward and backward, and (b) is the anti-lid connecting portion. (C) is a plan view and a front view of the operated state with the anti-lid connecting part facing left and right, and (d) is a cassette opening / closing jig and lid before mounting. (E) is a front view of the cassette opening / closing jig and lid after attachment. About Example 1 of this invention, the structure of a powder supply apparatus is shown, (a) is an external appearance perspective view, (b) is a right view of the internal mechanism etc. in the state holding the powder cassette. About Example 1 of this invention, it is a right view which shows the use condition of a powder cassette and a powder supply apparatus, and is discharging the powder from the powder cassette mounted to the powder supply apparatus.

A specific form for carrying out such a powder cassette, cassette opening / closing jig and powder supply device of the present invention will be described with reference to Example 1 below.
The first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 embodies all the above-described solving means 1 to 9 (claims 1 to 9 at the beginning of the application).
In these drawings, for the sake of simplification and the like, details such as fasteners such as bolts, couplings such as hinges, electric circuits such as motor drivers, and electronic circuits such as controllers are omitted from the illustration. The figure mainly shows what is necessary for the explanation and related items.

  In this first embodiment, the powder cassette 90 will be described first, then the cassette opening / closing jig 80 will be described, then the usage of both 80 and 90 will be described, then the powder supply device 10 will be described, and finally the powder Operations of the supply device 10 and the powder cassette 90 will be described.

The structure of the powder cassette 90 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a powder cassette 90 in a state where (a) is attached to a bottomed cylindrical container 91 and a lid 95 is closed, and (b) is a state where the lid 95 is removed from the bottomed cylindrical container 91. The perspective view of the powder cassette 90 of the state which open | released the opening | mouth 92, (c) is a bottom view of the powder cassette 90, (d) is an elevation view of the bottomed cylindrical container 91.
2A is a plan view and a front view of the lid 95 with the pair of latching portions 96 and 96 facing left and right, and FIG. 2B is a lid with the pair of latching portions 96 and 96 facing front and rear. 95 is a plan view and a front view.

  The powder cassette 90 (see FIG. 1) is a glass transparent or translucent cylinder, for example, a metal base plate on the opposite end of the glass cylinder or the translucent cylinder. The bottomed cylindrical container 91, which is fixedly attached by bonding or fitting, is mainly used, and the base (92 + 93) is attached to the upper end and the front end which are the open ends of the bottomed cylindrical container 91. It is fixedly installed by fitting. The base (92 + 93) is made of, for example, a metal ring-shaped member, and a mouth 92 (lip portion) that expands the opening of the bottomed cylindrical container 91 in a tapered shape is formed on the inner peripheral side of the tip portion thereof. An annular groove 93 is engraved and formed on the outer peripheral surface, and an eaves-like protrusion 93a that forms an edge of the eaves-like protrusion 93a extends over the entire circumference.

Among them, both the annular groove 93 and the hook-like protrusion 93a can be loosely fitted or loosely inserted into the upper end portion of the front support member 22 described later, and by doing so, the upper end portion of the support member 22 However, the powder supply device 10 described later uses an annular groove 93 as an annular engagement portion.
The tapered surface of the mouth 92 is inclined with respect to the central axis (virtual rotation axis) of the bottomed cylindrical container 91, and the inclination thereof is the same over the entire circumference (FIGS. 1B and 1D). ) About 40 degrees).
Further, a hole 94 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the bottomed cylindrical container 91 of the powder cassette 90 (see FIGS. 1C and 1D). The illustrated hole 94 has a hexagonal cross section, but if a drive shaft 32 (to be described later) can be inserted and removed in an axially loosely fitted state and can be transmitted in a rotationally locked state during insertion, Other shapes such as a cross shape or an internal tooth shape may be used.

  On the other hand, the lid 95 (see FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b), and 2) is, for example, a metal thin disc 97 fitted with fixing portions 98, 98a and a pair of latching portions 96, 96. Yes, the mouth (opening) of the powder cassette 90 is closed by bringing the edge of the disc 97 into close contact with the mouth 92 over the entire circumference, and the claw-like tips of the pair of latching portions 96, 96 are cylindrical with a bottom. The closed state is maintained by putting it in the annular groove 93 of the container 91 and hooking it on the hook-shaped protrusion 93a, and the ends of the pair of latching portions 96, 96 are pulled out from the annular groove 93 of the bottomed cylindrical container 91, The mouth (opening) of the powder cassette 90 is opened by pulling the disc 97 away from the mouth 92 (lip portion) after eliminating the hook.

  Since the disc 97 is for closing the mouth 92, the outer diameter of the disc 97 corresponds to the inner diameter of the mouth 92, and when closed, the outer peripheral surface of the disc 97 and the inner peripheral surface of the mouth 92 are perfect. The outer peripheral surface of the disc 97 is inclined from the central axis (virtual straight line passing through the center of the circle perpendicularly) by the same angle as the inner peripheral surface of the mouth 92 (see the front view of FIG. 2). As described above, both of them are generated when the disc 97 is moved in the direction of the central axis and slightly separated from the mouth 92 by being inclined moderately (for example, any one of 30 ° to 60 °) instead of being perpendicular to the central axis. This gap can be made smaller than the separation distance (specifically, the sine value sin times the inclination angle).

  Further, (see FIG. 1B, FIG. 2), the latching portion 96 has a base end portion positioned on the upper surface of the disc 97, a claw-shaped tip portion positioned below the peripheral portion of the disc 97, The intermediate portion is pivotally supported by a support shaft (not shown) and can swing like a seesaw. Moreover, since the pair of latching portions 96, 96 are always lightly biased by the latching biasing means made of an elastic body such as a spring (not shown), the disc 97 of the lid 95 is attached to the bottomed cylindrical container. When the mouth of the powder cassette 90 is closed by abutting against the mouth 92 of 91, the claw-like tip is biased to the side engaging with the annular groove 93 to establish and maintain the closed state; (See FIG. 1 (a)). Therefore, when carrying the powder cassette 90 or attaching / detaching the powder cassette 90 to / from the powder supply device 10, there is no possibility that the mouth of the powder cassette 90 will open unintentionally and the powder will spill, so that it can be handled safely and safely.

  Further, the lid 95 (see FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2) is a disc 97 that is bisected with a pair of latching portions 96, 96 disposed opposite to the peripheral edge of the disc 97 as a boundary. Of these upper surfaces, a fixed portion 98 is fixed to one side, and a fixed portion 98a is fixed to the other. These fixing portions 98 and 98a both reinforce the circular plate 97 and hook the counter lid connecting portion 84 of the cassette opening / closing jig 80 described later. Since the other fixed portion 98a does not reach the peripheral portion of the disc 97 while it occupies the peripheral portion of the circular plate 97, the peripheral portion of the lid 95 is substantially half the circumference occupied by the fixed portion 98. These are roughly divided into exposed portions of the upper surface of the disk 97 outside the fixed portion 98a, which is a thinner portion.

  In addition, the lid 95 (see FIG. 2) is not the center where the position does not change when its axis is rotated (rotation with the central axis as the rotation axis), but the part that is out of the center and changes its position when the axis of the lid 95 changes. A test part 99 that can be detected from the outside is provided. The test part 99 only needs to be detected by the detection means of the powder supply device 10 described later, and based on that, the direction of the fixing part 98 and the fixing part 98a can be understood. A simple mark such as a good red dot mark or engraving is sufficient.

  A specific configuration of the cassette opening / closing jig according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 3A is a plan view and a front view of the cassette opening / closing jig 80 in a free state in which a pair of paired lid connecting parts 84 and 84 are directed forward and backward, and FIG. 3B is a pair of the paired lid coupling parts 84 and 84. A plan view and a front view of the cassette opening / closing jig 80 in a free state with the left and right facing, and (c) a plan view of the cassette opening / closing jig 80 in an operated state with the pair of cover connecting portions 84 and 84 facing left and right. It is a front view.

  The cassette opening / closing jig 80 is used by being attached to and detached from the lid 95 when the mouth of the powder cassette 90 is opened and closed. The cassette opening / closing jig 80 and a handle erected on the center of the upper surface thereof. Part 82, a pair of connection release parts 83, 83 projecting laterally from the upper side surface of the handle part 82, and a pair of counter lid coupling parts 84, 84 projecting laterally from the lower end side surface of the handle part 82, The pair of connection release parts 83, 83 and the pair of cover connection parts 84, 84 are provided with a connection urging means (not shown) that always lightly urges them in the protruding direction. In the illustrated example, if the protruding directions of the connection release portion 83 and the counter lid connecting portion 84 are the same, the members overlap each other in a plan view and are difficult to see, so the protruding directions of both members 83 and 84 are different from each other in the orthogonal direction. However, if the projecting directions are the same, both members 83 and 84 can be integrated, the structure is simplified, and the usability is improved.

  When the lower surface of the latch release part 81 is brought closer to the center of the upper surface of the lid 95, the whole is accommodated in the round enclosure of the fixing parts 98 and 98a regardless of the direction around the central axis, and further pushed in until it comes into contact. The base end side of a pair of latching parts 96 and 96 is pushed with the peripheral part of a lower surface, and the claw-shaped front-end | tip of a pair of latching parts 96 and 96 resists the biasing of the latching biasing means (not shown) of the lid | cover 95. By opening the portion, if the tip end of the latching portion 96 is in the annular groove 93 of the powder cassette 90, it is separated to the point where it comes out.

The handle portion 82 is made of a member having a size that can be easily grasped by a fingertip, and has a horizontal hole or a lateral groove that can be moved forward and backward so that the base end portion of the connection release portion 83 and the lid connection portion 84 can be moved forward and backward. The above-described connection biasing means (not shown) is incorporated.
When both of the connection release parts 83 are retreated toward the inside of the handle part 82 with a pair of fingers sandwiched between both fingers, the anti-lid connection part 84 is also moved back toward the inside of the handle part 82. It is supposed to let you. It is also possible to lift the cassette opening / closing jig 80 while holding it between both fingers.
The anti-lid connecting portion 84 advances to a position where the tip end portion and the fixing portions 98, 98a are engaged in the free state, and is fixed to the tip end portion in the operated state in conjunction with the connection releasing portion 83 operated by a finger or the like. The parts 98, 98a are retracted to a position where they do not engage with each other.

The usage mode and operation of the powder cassette 90 and cassette opening / closing jig 80 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
3D is a front view of the cassette opening / closing jig 80 and the lid 95 before being attached, and FIG. 3E is a front view of the cassette opening / closing jig 80 and the lid 95 after being attached.

When the pair of connection release parts 83 and 83 are picked and pushed into the handle part 82 (see FIG. 3D), the pair of cover connection parts 84 and 84 are also reduced in distance from each other, and both ends are hooked. Since the retracting portion 81 retreats inward from the outer periphery of the releasing portion 81, the cassette opening / closing jig 80 can be attached to and detached from the lid 95 by applying the latch releasing portion 81 to the center of the upper surface of the lid 95.
Then, when the hand is released from the mounted cassette opening / closing jig 80 (see FIG. 3 (e)), the anti-lid connecting portions 84 and 84 move together with the uncoupling portions 83 and 83 in the advance direction, and the anti-lid connecting portion 84, Since the tip end portion of 84 is hooked on the fixing portions 98 and 98a of the lid 95, the lid 95 can be held by hand without touching the lid 95 by picking the handle portion 82 other than the connection release portion 83. .

  In the lid 95 fitted with the cassette opening / closing jig 80, the distal ends of the pair of latching portions 96, 96 are open, and in this state, the latching between the lid 95 and the bottomed cylindrical container 91 is released, The powder cassette 90 can be opened and closed freely. Therefore, since the powder replenishment work to the powder cassette 90 can be performed without directly touching the lid 95, the chance and amount of powder adhering to the operator's skin during powder replenishment are drastically reduced. Therefore, as described above, the powder cassette 90 that can be handled safely and safely because it does not open unintentionally, but by using the cassette opening / closing jig 80 intentionally, the powder powder can be easily and without sacrificing security and safety. The cassette 90 can be opened and closed.

  About the powder supply apparatus of Example 1 of this invention, the specific structure is demonstrated referring drawings. 4A is an external perspective view of the powder supply device 10, and FIG. 4B is a right side view of the internal mechanism and the like of the powder supply device 10 in a state where the powder cassette 90 is held.

  The powder supply device 10 (see FIG. 4) includes a cassette holding mechanism 20 for detachably holding the powder cassette 90 described above, a rotation drive mechanism 30 for rotating the powder cassette 90, and a mouth of the powder cassette 90. An opening / closing mechanism 40 for opening and closing the device, a controller 50 for controlling the operation of each mechanism and performing calculation processing of the imaging measurement means and the weight measurement means, and the powder medicine that has been discharged and dropped from the mouth of the powder cassette 90 An imaging device 51 for taking a picture, a discharge hopper 61, a hopper holding part 60 for holding the hopper 61, and a bottom plate 11, a front support part 12, and a rear support part 13 for supporting them from below. In addition, the inclined plate 21 on which the cassette holding mechanism 20 and the rotation driving mechanism 30 are mounted is moved forward and downward with an inclination angle θ between the short front support 12 and the tall rear support 13. In Ri state, it is adapted to support.

  When the powder holding cassette 90 is placed, the cassette holding mechanism 20 is inclined above the bottom plate 11 by the rear support portion 13 and the front support portion 12 in order to hold the powder cassette 90 so that the powder cassette 90 can be pivoted in a forwardly lowered posture with an inclination angle θ. The inclined plate 21 that is held in a forward-downward posture of the angle θ, the front support member 22 that is erected on the front portion of the upper surface of the inclined plate 21, and the rear portion of the upper surface of the inclined plate 21 that is erected And a rear support member 23. Both the front support member 22 and the rear support member 23 support the powder cassette 90 from below while allowing the shaft rotation of the powder cassette 90 by allowing the smooth upper end surface to contact the outer peripheral surface of the powder cassette 90 from below. It is like that. Among them, the front support member 22 has an upper end portion whose thickness is thinner than the width of the annular groove 93 (annular engagement portion) on the outer peripheral surface of the powder cassette 90, so that the upper end portion can be loosely inserted (engaged) into the annular groove 93. In the state where the upper end portion is inserted (engaged) into the annular groove 93, the upper end surface is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the groove to prevent the powder cassette 90 from dropping without disturbing the shaft rotation of the powder cassette 90. The upper side of the powder cassette 90 is prevented from advancing by applying the upper end side surface to the groove wall surface.

  Since the powder cassette 90 mounted on the cassette holding mechanism 20 takes an inclined posture with the mouth 92 slightly lowered, if the mouth of the powder cassette 90 is open, the powder in the bottomed cylindrical container 91 spills from the mouth. Therefore, the rotary drive mechanism 30 and the opening / closing mechanism that are separately arranged before and after the cassette holding mechanism 20 so that the powder cassette 90 can be attached and detached while the mouth of the bottomed cylindrical container 91 is closed with the lid 95. A sufficient space is ensured between the first and second members 40, and members that may cause interference, such as a drive shaft 32 and an arm 43, which will be described later, can be easily moved manually. Further, in the illustrated example, the inclination angle θ is fixed to a little over 5 °. However, the powder cassette 90 is lowered in the forwardly lowered posture, that is, in the horizontally inclined state lower on the mouth side than the bottom side, so that the discharge speed of the powder is stabilized. Since the inclination angle θ may be variably adjusted within a range of 3 ° to 20 °, for example, the inclination angle may be adjusted by controlling the controller 50 or the like. It may be automatically executed according to the above.

  The rotation drive mechanism 30 includes a motor 31 provided at the rear of the cassette holding mechanism 20 and a cassette in front of the motor 31 in order to rotate the powder cassette 90 held by the cassette holding mechanism 20 in accordance with the control of the controller 50. A drive shaft 32 protruding toward the holding mechanism 20 and a speed reduction mechanism (not shown) interposed between the motor 31 and the drive shaft 32 are provided. The drive shaft 32 has at least a tip corresponding to the hole 94 of the powder cassette 90 and has a hexagonal column shape that is slightly thinner than the hole 94 in this example, so that the tip is loosely fitted into the hole 94 by axial relative movement. In addition, the long diameter portion of the tip and the short diameter portion of the hole 94 interfere with each other in the circumferential direction so that the rotation direction is locked. Thus, the powder cassette 90 can be rotated about its axis.

The opening / closing mechanism 40 is a swing drive fixed on the front support portion 12 in front of the cassette holding mechanism 20 in order to act on the lid 95 of the powder cassette 90 to open and close the mouth (opening) of the powder cassette 90. It comprises a part 41, a lid holder 42 provided on the upper part thereof, and an arm 43 provided on the upper part thereof.
The swing drive unit 41 includes drive members such as a motor and a reduction gear, and the lid holder 42 is linearly moved in the front-rear direction as necessary for attaching and detaching the lid according to the control of the controller 50 and only necessary for opening and closing the lid. It swings back and forth.

Although the detailed illustration is omitted, the lid holder 42 includes a latch releasing portion and a lid connecting portion similar to the latch releasing portion 81 and the lid connecting portion 84 of the cassette opening / closing jig 80 described above. Then, when it moves backward (rightward in FIG. 4B) and comes into contact with the lid 95, the proximal end portion of the latching portions 96, 96 of the lid 95 is pushed by the latch release portion, so that the distal end portion is annular groove 93. The lid 95 is opened until it comes off, and the latching between the lid 95 and the bottomed cylindrical container 91 is released. It is supposed to be. Further, when the lid 95 is returned and released, the reverse operation is performed.
The arm 43 is swingably supported by the lid holder 42 to assist the lid holder 42, and can be inserted into the annular groove 93 of the powder cassette 90 from above by grasping the claw portion at the tip by hand. It is like that.

  Then, the opening / closing mechanism 40 causes the powder cassette 90 having the lid 95 to close the mouth of the bottomed cylindrical container 91 to insert the front support member 22 into the lower portion of the annular groove 93 (left side in FIG. 4B). In this state, the rear side (the right side in FIG. 4B) is placed on the rear support member 23, the drive shaft 32 is inserted into the hole 94, and the claw portion at the tip of the arm 43 is an annular groove 93 of the powder cassette 90. In accordance with the control of the controller 50, the powder cassette 90 is temporarily pivoted by the rotary drive mechanism 30 until the latching portion 96 of the lid 95 is in a lateral position that does not obstruct the discharge of the powder. After that, the lid holder 42 moves backward to hold the lid 95, and then the lid holder 42 swings while moving forward or slightly, so that the uppermost portion of the disc 97 of the lid 95 is placed on the powder cassette 90. Abuts mouth 92 When opening the mouth (opening) of the powder cassette 90 and closing the mouth (opening) of the powder cassette 90 in such a manner that the lower part of the disc 97 of the lid 95 is separated from the mouth 92 of the bottomed cylindrical container 91 To do things

  Although the controller 50 is illustrated in a simplified form in one block, it may be a single computer or sequencer, a distributed electronic control circuit, a dedicated product, or a combined product with the controller of the medicine packaging machine to be incorporated, as long as the control function can be exhibited. . Here, a programmable computer is employed, and a control program, an imaging measurement program, and a weight measurement program (not shown) are installed in advance. The imaging measurement program and the weight measurement program will be described later. By executing the control program, the controller 50 receives dispensing instruction data such as the amount of packages and the number of packages from an attached operation display unit (not shown) or a higher-level dispensing management device. If the packaging device is further connected so that the rotation drive mechanism 30 and the opening / closing mechanism 40 described above and the hopper holding unit 60 to be described later cooperate with each other based on the acquired data, the appropriate amount including that is included. These operations are controlled so that the wrapping operation is performed.

  In particular, the temporary rotation of the powder cassette 90 performed by the rotation drive mechanism 30 before the opening / closing mechanism 40 opens the mouth of the powder cassette 90 held by the cassette holding mechanism 20 will be described in detail. In parallel with continuing to rotate the powder cassette 90 at the rotation speed, the detection signal of a detection member such as a photosensor (not shown) is continuously monitored, and the detection signal corresponding to the detection of the test portion 99 of the lid 95 is detected. When it is sent from, the shaft rotation of the powder cassette 90 is stopped. Moreover, when the test part 99 is located at the detection destination of the detection member, the latching part 96 of the lid 95 of the powder cassette 90 comes to a lateral position that does not obstruct the discharge of the powder, and the fixing part 98 of the lid 95 is fixed. In the powder supply device 10, the thickened peripheral edge portion is on the upper side and the thinned peripheral edge portion on the outer peripheral side of the fixed portion 98 a is on the lower side of the lid 95. The arrangement of the detection member and the arrangement of the powder cassette 90 on the lid 95 are selected in advance. Therefore, the powder supply device 10 rotates the powder cassette 90 while trying to detect the test part 99, so that the thick peripheral part of the lid 95 is turned up and the remaining thin part is turned down. The mouth of the powder cassette 90 is opened by separating the lower part of the lid 95 from the mouth 92 while the upper part is in contact with the mouth 92.

  The imaging device 51 may be, for example, a small CCD camera provided with LED illumination. The imaging device 51 is installed rearwardly at the upper front side in the front support portion 12 and falls from the mouth 92 of the powder cassette 90. It is designed to take a wide range of powders from the front. Further, a black background member 52 is provided at a position that is located before the powder drop position in the photographing direction of the imaging device 51 in order to clarify the image of the powder. Further, the image data obtained by the imaging device 51 is sent from the imaging device 51 to the controller 50, and the controller 50 executes the imaging measurement program, so that, for example, the black and white ratio in the image is obtained from the image taken by the imaging device 51. The amount of powder delivery is calculated by performing an operation such as conversion to the amount of powder every moment (imaging measurement means).

The discharge hopper 61 is composed of, for example, a funnel-shaped member having an opening at the top and bottom, and an opening / closing valve incorporated therein. The discharge hopper 61 is held by the hopper holding unit 60 and is located in the powder dropping path downstream from the photographing position. Yes.
And with the on-off valve according to the control of the controller 50 closed, the powder falling from the mouth of the powder cassette 90 is received from the upper opening, and the powder is temporarily stored until a predetermined amount such as one package is collected. In accordance with the control of the controller 50 that confirms that a predetermined amount has been collected, the on-off valve is opened to release the powder from the lower opening and drop it.

  The hopper holding part 60 includes a hopper holding member for holding the discharge hopper 61 in a worshiping state in which the lower part of the discharge hopper 61 is dropped into the through hole from above, and a hopper holding member (not shown) provided below the hopper holding member. A weight measuring instrument such as a load cell is provided, and the weight of the machine part including the discharge hopper 61 is measured. Further, the measurement data is sent from the hopper holding unit 60 to the controller 50, and the controller 50 executes the weight measurement program so that the powder delivery amount is calculated from the change in the weight value measured by the load cell of the hopper holding unit 60. (Weight measuring means). Since the amount of powder delivery obtained by this weight measurement is only the amount already charged in the discharge hopper 61, the controller 50 calculates the amount of powder hopper 61 not charged during the fall in the air from the powder delivery amount obtained by the above-described imaging measurement. By combining them, the accurate powder delivery amount can be obtained quickly.

  About the powder cassette 90 and the powder supply apparatus 10 of this Example 1, the use aspect and operation | movement are demonstrated referring drawings. FIG. 5 is a right side view of the powder 100 discharged from the powder cassette 90 attached to the powder supply device 10.

  Prior to operating the powder supply device 10, the powder cassette 90 containing the powder 100 to be dispensed is manually held in the cassette holding mechanism 20 with the mouth 92 closed with the lid 95. At this time, the powder cassette 90 is placed sideways, the rear portion is placed on the rear support member 23, and then the powder cassette 90 is pushed and moved rearward, so that the drive shaft of the rotary drive mechanism 30 is inserted into the hole 94 on the bottom surface of the powder cassette 90. 32 is inserted, and the front side of the powder cassette 90 is further lowered to insert the upper end of the front support member 22 of the cassette holding mechanism 20 into the lower portion of the annular groove 93 of the powder cassette 90, and then it is allowed to escape in advance. The placed arm 43 is swung and the claw portion at the tip is inserted into the upper portion of the annular groove 93 of the powder cassette 90.

  Then, after the powder cassette 90 is mounted, dispensing instruction data such as a package amount (powder delivery amount) and a number of packages (number of delivery) is given to the controller 50 by operation input, download, or the like. Under the control, the lid 95 is moved forward only by the opening / closing mechanism 40 to open the mouth of the powder cassette 90, and the powder cassette 90 is axially rotated by the rotation drive mechanism 30. Therefore, the powder 100 is discharged from the mouth of the powder cassette 90. Are discharged little by little (see FIG. 5). At that time, the powder 100 falls between the imaging device 51 and the background member 52 while spreading laterally (in the figure, in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) in a thin state (in the left-right direction in the figure). And enters the discharge hopper 61. Then, the falling powder 100 is taken by the imaging device 51, and an estimated value of the amount of the falling powder 100 is calculated by executing the imaging measurement program of the controller 50 based on the image.

  Further, the powder 100 that has fallen enters the discharge hopper 61 and is temporarily stored therein, and the powder 100 that has been put into the hopper, which is the powder 100 being stored, is put together with the discharge hopper 61 and the like in the load cell of the hopper holding unit 60. And weighed. Based on the weight change, the amount of the powder 100 with hopper loaded is calculated by executing the weight measurement program of the controller 50. Further, the controller 50 calculates the powder delivery amount from the powder cassette 90 based on the two calculated values of the amount of the powder 100 already loaded into the hopper and the amount of the powder 100 falling, and the powder delivery amount is designated. When the package amount (divided amount) is reached, the lid 95 is moved backward by the opening / closing mechanism 40 to close the mouth of the powder cassette 90, and the discharge hopper 61 is opened to open the package amount (divided amount) of the powder 100. Is sent to a downstream packaging device or the like.

Such an operation is repeated for each package amount (divided amount), and when the designated number of packages (number of times of delivery) is performed, the required powder supply operation is completed, so the mouth of the powder cassette 90 is closed. In this state, the powder supply device 10 stops operating. Therefore, when removing the used powder cassette 90 from the powder supply device 10, the reverse operation is performed as in the above-described mounting. However, if the same powder 100 is to be dispensed again, the cassette demounting operation is omitted and setting of the dispensing instruction data is performed. To do.
Thus, the powder supply is performed by the horizontal cylindrical cassette rotation method, but the powder supply apparatus 10 has been improved in several respects, so that both accuracy and efficiency are improved.

  That is, since the powder cassette 90 is inclined by the inclination angle θ with the mouth 92 side lowered, even if the stored powder 100 decreases, the discharge speed of the powder does not decrease much. Further, since the rotational transmission between the powder cassette 90 and the rotary drive mechanism 30 is performed by mechanical engagement between the hole 94 and the drive shaft 32, the rotational state of the powder cassette 90 is stabilized. Further, since the upper portion of the lid 95 is brought into contact with the mouth 92 and the lower portion of the lid 95 is separated from the mouth 92 so that the mouth of the powder cassette 90 is opened, the forward displacement of the powder cassette 90 is easily prevented. In addition, the fall discharge state of the powder 100 is stabilized. In addition, since the front support member 22 is inserted into the annular groove 93 to support the powder cassette 90, the function of preventing the powder cassette from being forwardly displaced is not impaired, and the lid 95 is not undesirably deformed or damaged. The disc 97 of the lid 95 can be made thin.

[Others]
In the said Example, the upper end part of the front side support member 22 is inserted into the annular groove 93 among the annular groove 93 formed in the outer peripheral surface of the powder cassette 90, and the hook-shaped protrusion 93a, and is made to contact | abut to a groove bottom. Although the annular groove 93 is used as the annular engaging portion, the hook-shaped protrusion 93a can also be used as the annular engaging portion. For example, a concave portion is engraved and formed on the upper end portion of the front support member 22, and the hook-like protrusion 93 a of the powder cassette 90 is inserted into the concave portion and brought into contact with the bottom surface of the concave portion. It can be used as an annular engagement part.

In the above embodiment, the cassette holding mechanism 20 and the like are exposed, but the cassette holding mechanism 20 and the other mechanisms 30 to 60 may be collectively housed in a box-shaped housing. It is easy to use if the top part is made of a transparent opening / closing lid.
In the above embodiment, the cassette holding mechanism 20 and the like are installed on the inclined plate 21, whereas the opening / closing mechanism 40 is installed on the front support portion 12. May be installed. The inclined plate 21 may be a frame.

In the above embodiment, when holding the powder cassette 90 in the cassette holding mechanism 20, the drive shaft 32 and the hole 94 are first fitted and then inserted into the annular groove 93 of the front support member 22. First, the drive shaft 32 may be retracted backward, and the above procedure may be performed in the reverse order.
In the above embodiment, the weight measuring means measures the weight of the downstream machine part including the discharge hopper 61 with the load cell of the hopper holding unit 60, and the controller 50 calculates the powder delivery amount from the change in the weight. However, the weight of the upstream machine part including the cassette holding mechanism 20 is measured by, for example, a load cell provided under the inclined plate 21, and the controller 50 calculates the powder delivery amount from the weight change. It is good to measure the weight of the machine part on the upstream side and the weight of the machine part on the downstream side in both load cells, and the controller 50 calculates one powder delivery amount by weighted average or the like from these weight changes. Also good.

Since the powder cassette of the present invention can be easily opened and closed using a cassette opening / closing jig, the application of the powder cassette is not limited to automatic powder supply performed by being attached to and detached from the powder supply device, and is a manual dispensing performed by a dispenser. Can be used without any inconvenience.
In addition, the powder supply device may be used alone, but is often incorporated in the powder dispensing machine. At that time, the powder distribution device is provided directly above the packaging device so as to replace the distribution division mechanism. It may be sent to the packaging device in increments, or it may be incorporated into a rotation distribution type powder supply device by replacing the powder feeder, or attached to a rotation distribution type powder supply device by supplying powder to the powder feeder. It may be arranged in parallel with the rotation distribution type powder supply device, or they may be switched. When the powder feeder is used in the form of replacement, the powder hopper 61 and the hopper holding portion 60 can be omitted because the powder powder is not divided during delivery. However, the discharge hopper 61 and the hopper can be used for switching and the like. If the holding unit 60 is to be continued, the discharge hopper 61 may be kept open when replacing the powder feeder.

10 ... powder supply device,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Bottom plate, 12 ... Front side support part, 13 ... Rear side support part,
20 ... cassette holding mechanism, 21 ... inclined plate, θ ... inclination angle,
22 ... front bearing member, 23 ... rear bearing member,
30 ... Rotation drive mechanism, 31 ... Motor, 32 ... Drive shaft,
40 ... Opening / closing mechanism, 41 ... Swing drive unit, 42 ... Lid holder, 43 ... Arm,
50 ... Controller (control means, imaging measurement means, weight measurement means),
51 ... Imaging device, 52 ... Background member,
60 ... hopper holding part (weight measuring means), 61 ... discharge hopper,
80 ... cassette opening / closing jig,
81 ... Hook release part, 82 ... Hand part,
83 ... Connection release part (manual operation part), 84 ... Anti-lid connection part,
90 ... powder cassette,
91 ... Bottomed cylindrical container, 92 ... Mouth, 93 ... Annular groove (annular engagement part),
93a ... ridge-like overhang (annular engagement portion), 94 ... hole, 95 ... lid,
96 ... latching part, 97 ... disc, 98 ... fixing part (thick peripheral part side),
98a ... fixed part (thin peripheral edge side), 99 ... test part,
100 ... powder

Claims (9)

  In a powder cassette including a bottomed cylindrical container capable of storing powder and a lid for opening and closing the mouth, a hole for axial rotation transmission is formed in the center of the outer bottom surface of the bottomed cylindrical container, and the hole However, a cassette holding mechanism that holds the powder cassette in a tilted state lower on the mouth side than the bottom side, an opening / closing mechanism that acts on the lid to open and close the mouth of the powder cassette, and the powder cassette is rotated on a drive shaft. A rotary drive mechanism for rotating the powder cassette and rotating the powder cassette to drop and discharge the powder from its mouth. A powder cassette characterized by being fitted in a state.   An annular engagement portion is formed on the mouth-side outer peripheral surface of the bottomed cylindrical container, and the annular engagement portion is provided in the cassette holding mechanism of the powder supply device, and the bottomed cylindrical container 2. The powder according to claim 1, wherein the powder is engaged with an upper end portion of a support member that prevents the powder cassette from dropping and moving forward by supporting the powder cassette from below. cassette.   When the lid is closed, it includes a latching portion that engages the tip portion with the annular engagement portion, and latching biasing means that biases the tip portion of the latching portion toward the engagement side. 3. A powder cassette according to claim 2, wherein   The lid includes a disk for closing the mouth, and the outer peripheral surface of the disk and the inner peripheral surface of the mouth are inclined from the central axis by the same angle so as to meet when closed. The powder medicine cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein   The powder cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a peripheral edge of the lid is composed of a thicker half circumference and a thinner remaining part.   A test portion that can be detected from the outside is provided at a portion where the center of the lid is removed, and the test portion rotates the cassette while rotating the cassette while trying to detect the test portion. Detected by the powder supply device that opens the mouth of the powder cassette by separating the lower part of the lid from the mouth while keeping the uppermost part of the lid in contact with the mouth with the thin remaining part facing down 6. The powder cassette according to claim 5, wherein the powder cassette is capable.   A cassette opening / closing jig used to open and close the powder cassette according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the lid is similar to the latch release portion of the opening / closing mechanism of the powder supply device. A latch release portion that acts on the base end side of the latching portion when being contacted and separates the distal end portion of the latching portion from the annular engagement portion against the biasing of the latching biasing means; The anti-lid connecting portion that is attached to the lid by engaging with the fixing portion of the lid as well as the anti-lid connecting portion of the opening / closing mechanism of the powder supply device, and urges the anti-lid connecting portion to the engagement side. A cassette opening / closing treatment comprising: a coupling urging unit; and a coupling release unit that separates the counter lid coupling unit from the lid fixing unit against the urging of the coupling urging unit in response to a manual operation. Ingredients. A powder cassette and a powder supply device, wherein the powder cassette includes a bottomed cylindrical container capable of storing powder and a lid for opening and closing the mouth, and the powder supply device includes the powder cassette. A cassette holding mechanism that holds the lower side of the mouth side lower than the bottom side, an opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the mouth by acting on the lid, and a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the powdered cassette with a drive shaft. In the powder supply system adapted to rotate the powder cassette and to drop and discharge the powder from the mouth,
A hole for shaft rotation transmission is formed at the center of the outer bottom surface of the bottomed cylindrical container, a drive shaft for shaft rotation transmission is provided in the rotation drive mechanism, and a tip end portion of the drive shaft and the hole Are fitted in an axially loosely fitted state and a rotationally locked state,
An annular engaging portion is formed on the mouth-side outer peripheral surface of the bottomed cylindrical container, and a support member that prevents the powder cassette from dropping and moving forward by supporting the bottomed cylindrical container from the bottom is the cassette. It is provided in a holding mechanism, and the upper end portion of the support member and the annular engagement portion are engaged with each other in a state where the shaft can rotate,
The lid includes a peripheral edge portion composed of a thicker half circumference and a thinner remaining portion, a latching portion for engaging the tip portion with the annular engagement portion when closed, and a tip portion of the latching portion And a disc for closing the mouth, and the outer peripheral surface of the disc and the inner peripheral surface of the mouth are matched when closed. It is inclined from the central axis by an angle,
A test portion that can be detected from the outside is provided at a site off the center of the lid, and the lid is thickened by rotating the cassette while the powder supply device tries to detect the test portion. The mouth of the powder cassette is opened by separating the lower part of the lid from the mouth while bringing the uppermost part of the lid into contact with the mouth, with the peripheral part of the lid facing up and the thin remaining part down. The powder supply system characterized by being. A cassette opening and closing jig used for opening and closing the powdered cassette,
When the cassette opening / closing jig is brought into contact with the lid, it acts on the base end side of the latching portion and resists the biasing force of the latching biasing means so that the tip end portion of the latching portion is in the annular shape. A latch release portion that is separated from the engaging portion, a counter lid connecting portion that is attached to the lid by engaging with the fixing portion of the lid, and a connection biasing means that biases the counter lid connecting portion toward the engaging side. And a connection release part that separates the anti-lid connecting part from the fixing part of the cover against the urging of the connection urging means according to a manual operation,
When the opening / closing mechanism of the powder supply device is brought into contact with the lid in the same manner as the latch release portion, it acts on the base end side of the latch portion to resist the bias of the latch biasing means. A latch release portion that separates the tip of the latch portion from the annular engagement portion, and a counter lid connecting portion that is attached to the lid by engaging with the fixing portion of the lid, similar to the counter lid coupling portion. The powder supply system according to claim 8, comprising:

Images