JP6391063B2 - Drug cassette divider - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drug cassette partition plate used by being mounted on a drug cassette called a rotor cassette or the like, and more particularly to a drug cassette partition plate that partitions a drug vertically above a discharge port.
The medicine stored in the medicine cassette is typically a disk-shaped tablet, but is not limited to this, and polygonal ones and capsules can also be handled.
In the present application, the horizontal direction indicates horizontal or a direction corresponding thereto, and the vertical direction indicates vertical or a direction corresponding thereto.

  Among the drug feeders for automating dispensing performed in hospitals, pharmacies, etc., the type of drug feeder that aligns drugs such as tablets with the rotation of the alignment board and sequentially drops them (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2), A drug cassette for randomly storing a large number of drugs and a base for detachably holding the drug cassette, and a transmission shaft that engages with the mounted drug cassette and transmits a rotational motion to the base. And an electric motor for rotationally driving the transmission shaft in accordance with the medicine discharge signal, a sensor for detecting the drop and discharge of the medicine, and the like.

  The medicine cassette is provided so as to face a container part for containing medicines, an aligning board rotatably provided therein, and a discharge port formed at a lower end portion of an annular gap between the container part and the aligning board. And a partition plate for a medicine cassette (hereinafter also simply referred to as a partition plate) that partitions a part of the annular gap, and when mounted on the base, the alignment plate engages with the transmission shaft. The electric motor is rotationally driven. Then, when the medicine is carried through the annular gap by the rotating aligning plate and reaches just above the outlet, the medicine falls from the outlet and is discharged, and the medicine above the medicine is discharged by the partition plate. Since it is prevented from entering the outlet, the medicines are discharged one by one according to the amount of rotation.

  The partition plate includes a so-called cantilever type in which only one end part is attached to the container part (see, for example, Patent Document 1) and a so-called so-called double-end type part in which both end parts are attached to the container part (for example, Patent Document 2). There are also a direct attachment type (see, for example, Patent Document 1) and an indirect type in which a support or the like is interposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In addition, the partition plate is made of a metal or a soft material (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and the metal partition plate is created by bending a thin metal plate, etc. A standing plate portion for mounting from the outside and a horizontal plate portion that extends into the internal space of the container portion and exhibits a partitioning function are provided. On the other hand, the partition plate made of a soft material is made by plastic molding or the like, and is soft even in a flat plate shape and is easily deformed, and a portion in which a portion exhibiting a partition function is formed in a sawtooth shape is particularly soft.

JP-A-2-205523 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-154637

However, for such conventional partition plates for drug cassettes, metal ones are durable and can withstand long-term use but are difficult to use with fragile drugs, so the use range is limited, whereas those made of soft materials It can be used for fragile drugs, but it is not strong, so the usable period tends to be shortened.
Therefore, it is a technical problem to realize a drug cassette partition plate having both advantages, that is, a drug cassette partition plate that is durable, can withstand long-term use, and can be used for a fragile drug.

  The partition plate for a medicine cassette according to the present invention (Solution means 1) was created to solve such a problem, and includes a container portion for storing medicines and an alignment board provided rotatably therein. And a plate member attached to a medicine cassette having a discharge port formed at a lower end portion of an annular gap between the container part and the alignment board, and is attached to the container part when the cassette is attached. When the vertical plate portion and the vertical plate portion are attached to the container portion, the vertical plate portion enters the annular gap and is positioned above the discharge port so that a part of the annular gap is formed in a state facing the discharge port. In the partition plate for a medicine cassette having a horizontally long horizontal plate portion for partitioning, the vertical plate portion is an attachment portion whose one end is fixed to the container portion, and a hole penetrating the front and back is formed in the central portion. The horizontal plate portion , Characterized in that from one end in which and the other end portion is separate from the vertical plate portion toward the central portion is connected to the other end portion of the vertical plate portion.

  The drug cassette partition plate of the present invention is (Solution means 2), which is the drug cassette partition plate of the above solution means 1, wherein the hole is horizontally long, and the central portion of the hole excluding both ends is vertically The width is wider than half of the vertical width of the vertical plate portion.

In the drug cassette partition plate of the present invention (Solution 1), it can be made from a thin and strong member such as a metal plate by cutting or bending, so it is durable and can withstand long-term use. You can make things easily.
When the medicine cassette is mounted, the horizontal plate portion and the vertical plate portion are separated from one end portion to the center portion, so that the vertical plate portion to which one end portion is fixed turns the cantilever from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. Since the range that can be bent as if it was made is extended from one end to the center and is in a so-called laterally swingable state that bends greatly, when an external force acts on the other end that is not fixed, The other end easily swings greatly in the lateral direction. And when an external force acts on a horizontal plate part, since the other edge part is connected with the other end part of the vertical plate part, a horizontal plate part will also be displaced to a horizontal direction similarly.

The amount of displacement increases in accordance with the magnitude of the external force, but the rigidity in the thickness direction and the lateral direction of the vertical plate portion that determines the relationship between the two is further reduced by forming holes in the vertical plate portion.
In addition, the rigidity in the width direction and the vertical direction of the vertical plate part is not significantly impaired, the rigidity in the thickness direction and the horizontal direction of the vertical plate part is significantly reduced, and the overall shape of the partition plate for the drug cassette is changed. Instead, by changing the size and shape of the hole, the rigidity in the thickness direction and the lateral direction of the vertical plate portion can be changed and adjusted appropriately.

Then, by appropriately reducing the rigidity in the thickness direction and the lateral direction of the vertical plate portion in this way, it acts on the horizontal plate portion when the medicines that have been carried in the annular gap overlapping vertically are sorted up and down. The external plate does not displace very much due to external force, but when the drug that has been carried in the annular gap at a halfway position pushes the horizontal plate strongly, the horizontal plate is not damaged and the movement of the drug is not stopped. The plate part moves backward and is displaced in the lateral direction, and the medicine is lightly held between the horizontal plate part and the alignment plate, and passes over the discharge port without falling to the discharge port.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a drug cassette partition plate that is not only easy to manufacture but also durable, can withstand long-term use, and can be used for fragile drugs.

  In addition, in the medicine cassette partition plate of the present invention (Solution 2), the hole shape is extended horizontally to make it horizontally long, and both ends of the hole cannot be removed because it is impossible. While avoiding the place that contributes most to maintaining the rigidity of the vertical plate in the width direction and the vertical direction, removing it wider than that greatly reduces the rigidity of the vertical plate in the thickness direction and the horizontal direction, so it is quite fragile It can also be used for drugs.

About Example 1 of this invention, the structure of the chemical | medical agent cassette and the partition plate for chemical | medical agent cassettes is shown, (a) is a front view of the sheet metal punching member before giving a bending process, (b) is a front view of a partition plate. (C) is a perspective view of a partition plate, (d) is a partially sectional right side view of a drug cassette equipped with the partition plate, and (e) is a partially sectional plan view of the drug cassette. The operation | movement of a partition plate and a chemical | medical agent cassette with which it was mounted | worn are shown, (a) is a partial cross section right view of a chemical | medical agent cassette, (b) And (c) is an expanded rear view of a partition plate. (A), (b) is a partial cross-sectional top view of a chemical | medical agent cassette. (A), (b) is a partial cross-sectional top view of a chemical | medical agent cassette. (A), (b) is a partial cross-sectional top view of a chemical | medical agent cassette.

A specific form for carrying out such a medicine cassette partition plate of the present invention will be described with reference to Example 1 below.
The first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 embodies all of the above-described solving means 1 and 2 (claims 1 and 2 at the beginning of the application).
In the drawings, for the sake of simplicity, the illustration of the invention is omitted for the sake of simplicity, such as a drive source such as an electric motor, a transmission member such as a gear, an electric circuit such as a motor driver, and an electronic circuit such as a controller. The figure mainly shows what is necessary and related.

About the Example 1 of the partition plate for chemical | medical agent cassettes of this invention, the specific structure is demonstrated with reference to drawing.
FIG. 1A is a surface view of the sheet metal punching member 8 before it is bent to become the partition plate 10, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating the partition plate 10 that has been bent and finished. FIG. 1C is a front view of the D arrow view and a bottom view of the C arrow view, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the partition plate 10 as viewed from the E arrow.

  The partition plate 10 is formed, for example, by punching a thin flat metal plate with a press machine or the like to create a sheet metal punching member 8 (see FIG. 1A), bending it at a right angle at a bending portion 8a, and deburring it. Or a plate member that is easily manufactured by a process such as edge rounding (see FIGS. 1B and 1C), and is used by being mounted on a later-described drug cassette 40 (FIG. 1D). (See (e)). The partition plate 10 (see FIGS. 1B and 1C) includes vertical plate portions 11 to 15 that extend in the vertical direction when the cassette is mounted, with the bending portion 8a described above as a boundary and a connection portion, It is roughly divided into horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 that extend in the horizontal direction when the cassette is mounted.

  The vertical plate portions 11 to 15 (see FIGS. 1B and 1C) are composed of a horizontally long belt-like portion, and one end portion 11 (the right end portion in the drawing) in which the mounting hole 15 is formed is the partition plate 10. It is an attachment part that is attached to the container part 41, which will be described later, when mounted on the medicine cassette 40, and is fixed to the outer surface of the container part 41 by screwing into which a small screw is screwed into the container part 41 through the attachment hole 15. It has become. Further, the other end portion 12 (left end portion in the figure) is connected to the other end portions 17 of the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18. Further, the central portion 13 + 14 located between the one end portion 11 and the other end portion 12 is formed with a horizontally long through hole 22 penetrating the front and back, and is divided into two substantially parallel remaining portions 13 and 14. Both end portions 11 and 12 are connected to each other, and specifically, a hole upper side portion 13 that forms the upper side of the through hole 22 and a hole lower side portion 14 that forms the lower side of the through hole 22 are divided.

  The vertical width of the central portion 13 + 14 is a combination of the vertical width of the upper hole side portion 13, the vertical width of the through hole 22, and the vertical width of the lower hole side portion 14, and the width of the through hole 22 suddenly changes at both ends. However, except for both ends, the vertical width of the through hole 22 and the vertical width of the hole upper side portion 13 and the hole lower side portion 14 are substantially constant, and the vertical width of the central portion of the through hole 22 excluding both ends. However, it is wider than half of the vertical width of the central portion 13 + 14. In other words, the vertical width of the through hole 22 is wider than the sum of the vertical width of the hole upper side portion 13 and the vertical width of the hole lower side portion 14. Therefore, the central portion 13 + 14 has a bending rigidity in the lateral direction that is reduced to half or less than that without the through hole 22, and is easily bent in the lateral direction. On the other hand, since the upper and lower sides 13 and 14 having a large contribution to the rigidity remain, the bending rigidity in the vertical direction does not decrease so much and is difficult to bend in the vertical direction.

  The horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 (see FIGS. 1B and 1C) are also composed of horizontally long belt-like portions, but the length (left and right lengths in the figure) is longer than the vertical plate portions 11 to 15. It is short, and the notch 21 is formed between the vertical plate portions 11 to 15, so that the one end portion 18 is separated from the vertical plate portions 11 to 15 from the one end portion 18 (right end portion in the drawing) to the center portion. It is a free end and is connected to the other end portion 12 of the vertical plate portions 11 to 15 at the other end portion 17 (left end portion in the figure), and the other end portion 17 is a connecting portion. When the vertical plate portions 11 to 15 are attached to the container portion 41 of the medicine cassette 40 (see FIGS. 1D and 1E), the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 are moved from the slit 42 of the container portion 41 to the container portion 41. It is designed to enter into and spread laterally.

About the chemical | medical agent cassette 40 with which such a partition plate 10 is mounted | worn, the structure and the mounting state of the partition plate 10 are demonstrated referring drawings.
FIG. 1 (d) is a right side view of the medicine cassette 40 to which the partition plate 10 is attached, as viewed in the direction of arrow B, and FIG. 1 (e) crosses a part of the medicine cassette 40. It is a top view of the A arrow made into the surface.

The drug cassette 40 (see FIGS. 1 (d) and 1 (e)) may be a known product, so briefly described. A container part 41 having an internal space for randomly storing drugs and a rotation about the vertical axis therein. The arrangement board 45 is provided so as to be able to be used, and is used in a state of being mounted on a base (not shown), and the arrangement board 45 is driven to rotate when the medicine is discharged.
The lower part of the internal space of the container part 41 has a short cylindrical shape, and the lower part of the alignment plate 45 is concentrically arranged there. An annular gap 48 is provided between them.

In addition, a discharge port 43 that is a vertical through hole through which a medicine can pass is formed in a portion of the bottom plate of the container portion 41 that corresponds to the lower end portion of the annular gap 48, and the discharge port 43 of the side plate of the container portion 41. A slit 42 which is a horizontal through hole into which the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 of the partition plate 10 can enter is formed in a portion which hits above or obliquely above.
Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the alignment plate 45, a large number of blade-like partition walls 46 are formed in a radial arrangement with an equal pitch, and an annular gap 48 is divided into a large number of compartments 49 arranged in an annular shape. In each compartment 49, one medicine is accommodated.

And when attaching the partition plate 10 to such a chemical | medical agent cassette 40, after inserting the horizontal plate parts 17-18 into the slit 42, the one end part 11 of the vertical plate parts 11-15 is screwed to the container part 41. FIG. . Then, the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 of the partition plate 10 enter the annular gap 48 of the medicine cassette 40 and are located above the discharge port 43, and in a state facing the discharge port 43 by lying there. A part of the annular gap 48 is vertically divided.
This partitioning position is adjusted within a range not interfering with the partition wall 46 by utilizing the fact that the mounting hole 15 is vertically long and the height of the one end 11 and thus the partition plate 10 can be changed by loosening the set screw. The height of the medicine that has fallen into the chamber 49 and reached the inner bottom of the container 41 is adjusted.

About the partition plate 10 of this Example 1 and the chemical | medical agent cassette 40 with which it was mounted | worn, the use aspect and operation | movement are demonstrated referring drawings.
FIG. 2 (a) is a right side view of the medicine cassette 40 to which the partition plate 10 is attached as a longitudinal section taken along the B arrow. FIGS. 2 (b) and 2 (c) show the partition plate 10 and the drainage plate. FIG. 6 is an enlarged rear view of the outlet 43 as viewed in the direction of arrow F. 3 (a), 3 (b), 4 (a), 4 (b), 5 (a), and 5 (b) all cross a part of the medicine cassette 40 to which the partition plate 10 is attached. It is the top view of the A arrow made to the surface, and has shown the operation state in time series.

  A medicine 4 such as a capsule shown in the container part 41 of the medicine cassette 40 with the partition plate 10 attached (the medicines 4a and 4b are the same as the medicine 4, but among the many medicines 4, the following explanation will be given) 2 (see FIG. 2 (a)), many of the many drugs 4 that fall on the lower side fall into the compartment 49 of the annular gap 48 one by one. The medicines 4 (including the medicines 4a and 4b) that have entered the chamber 49 are almost all of the medicines 4 (including the medicines 4a but excluding the medicines 4b) with their lower ends attached to the inner bottom of the container part 41. It is individually housed in the compartment 49 in a stable posture. Then, when the alignment plate 45 is axially rotated for the sequential discharge of the medicines, the platen circulates in the annular gap 48 together with the partition wall 46, and one by one with the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 of the partition plate 10. It advances toward the discharge port 43 of the container part 41.

If it does so (refer FIG.2 (b)), the upper end of the chemical | medical agent 4a which is settled in the compartment 49 and circulates will approach the front-end | tip (free end) of the one end part 18 of the horizontal plate parts 17-18 of the partition plate 10. To do.
Then, when the circulating movement of the medicine 4a proceeds and the medicine 4 comes below the one end portion 18, if the medicine 4a is alone, it inevitably sinks under the one end portion 18, but the top of the medicine 4a Even if another drug 4 overlaps with the other drug 4 (see FIG. 2C), the one end 18 is split between the lower drug 4a and the upper drug 4a, so that the lower drug 4a is still there. Only dive under one end 18. At that time, even if there is a slight shift in the vertical position between the one end 18 and the upper end of the drug 4a or the lower end of the drug 4 immediately above, the piece of the horizontal plate portions 17-18 having the one end 18 as a free end. Since it is in the state of a cantilever and is thin in the vertical direction, the leading edge (free end) of the one end 18 moves up and down flexibly, so that the overlapping drugs 4a and 4 can be partitioned up and down without difficulty.

Moreover, although rare (refer FIG. 2 (a), FIGS. 3-5), although it is rare, some chemical | medical agents 4b reach | attain an inner bottom by being caught on the way to the compartment 49, etc. It may come to the partition plate 10 (see FIG. 3 (a)) while stopping to fall and staying in a halfway position (see FIG. 2 (a)).
In that case, when the medicine 4b comes into contact with the most distal end of the one end portion 18 of the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 of the partition plate 10 (see FIG. 3B), the one end portion 18 becomes flexible in the vertical direction as described above. Even though it can be displaced, there is a limit to this, and the deformation that avoids the drug 4b at the halfway position exceeds the limit, so the contact state between the one end 18 and the drug 4b continues. .

  For this reason (see FIG. 4A), the partition plate 10 is fixed to the container portion 41 so that the leading edge of the other end portion 17 of the lateral plate portions 17 to 18 is pushed by the medicine 4b. Arc-shaped deformation in which the low-rigidity central portion 13 + 14 of the vertical plate portions 11-15 bent in a bow shape proceeds, and the other end portion 12 of the vertical plate portions 11-15 moves away from the container portion 41 and the horizontal plate portions 17-18. Is also separated from the alignment plate 45, and the medicine 4 b is sandwiched between the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 and the alignment plate 45.

  Then, when the circulation movement of the medicine 4b further proceeds (see FIG. 4B), the medicine 4b comes to the side of the other end portion 17 of the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18, and the central portion 13 + 14 is temporarily deformed in an arc shape. However, it is also temporary (not shown), and this is only temporary, and the central portion 13 + 14 maintains an arcuate deformation (FIG. 4 ( b)), the medicine 4b continues to be sandwiched between the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 and the alignment board 45.

  Then, the circulation movement of the medicine 4b further proceeds (see FIG. 5A), and when the medicine 4b comes to the side of the one end portion 18 of the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18, the central portion 13 + 14 maintains the arcuate deformation, 4b continues to be sandwiched between the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 and the alignment plate 45, and the leading edge of the other end portion 17 of the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 comes on the subsequent compartment 49. Then, as the circular movement further proceeds (see FIG. 5 (b)), the arcuate deformation of the central portion 13 + 14 is weakened, and at the same time, the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 approach the alignment board 45 while holding the medicine 4b, and follow. Therefore, the partition function related to the subsequent compartment 49 is also performed by the partition plate 10 without any inconvenience.

Thus, the partition plate 10 attached to the medicine cassette 40 is bent in the lateral direction by forming the notches 21 and the through holes 22 when the medicine 4b is sandwiched between the horizontal plate portions 17 to 18 and the alignment plate 45. The central portion 13 + 14 having reduced rigidity is deformed in an arc shape, and is deformed flexibly and greatly, and the medicine 4b is continuously held and passed.
Therefore, even when the medicine 4 is transported in the annular gap 48 at a halfway position, and even if the medicine 4 is quite fragile, the medicine 4 moves safely without being damaged.

[Others]
In the above embodiment, the partition plate is directly attached to the container portion. However, the partition plate is previously attached to a holding member such as a support, and the partition plate is attached to the container portion in association with the attachment of the holding member to the container portion. You may make it attach to. The attachment method is not limited to screwing, but may be attached or the like.

  The partition plate for a medicine cassette of the present invention is not limited to the capsules exemplified in the above embodiment, but can be applied to partitions of medicines of other shapes such as a ball.

4, 4a, 4b ... medicine, 8 ... sheet metal punching member, 8a ... bending part,
10: Partition plate (plate member, partition plate for drug cassette),
11-15 ... Vertical plate part, 11 ... One end part (attachment part), 12 ... Other end part (connection part),
13 + 14 ... center part, 13 ... upper hole side part, 14 ... lower hole side part, 15 ... mounting hole,
17-18 ... Horizontal plate part, 17 ... Other end part (connection part), 18 ... One end part (free end),
21 ... Notch (separation part), 22 ... Through hole,
40 ... medicine cassette, 41 ... container part, 42 ... slit, 43 ... discharge port,
45 ... Alignment board, 46 ... Bulkhead, 48 ... Annular gap, 49 ... Compartment

Claims (2)

Mounted on a medicine cassette having a container portion for containing medicines and an alignment board rotatably provided therein, and having a discharge port formed at the lower end of an annular gap between the container part and the alignment board a metal thin plate member which is a vertical plate portion of the oblong attached to the container portion when the cassette is installed, and the outlet and enters the the longitudinal plate portion is attached to the container portion to the annular gap in In the medicine cassette partition plate having a horizontally long horizontal plate portion that divides a part of the annular gap in a state of being opposed to the discharge port by being positioned above, the vertical plate portion has one end portion of the container portion. The horizontal plate portion is separated from the vertical plate portion from one end portion to the central portion and the other. The end is connected to the other end of the vertical plate Drug cassette partition plate, characterized in that those who are.   2. The drug cassette partition plate according to claim 1, wherein the hole is horizontally long, and a vertical width of a central portion excluding both ends of the hole is wider than a half of a vertical width of the vertical plate portion.

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