JPH07165204A - Tablet feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To supply tablets selectively to subdivision packing devices in the same number as delivery passages by a method wherein the tablets are discharged selectively through any one of the delivery passages in plural numbers with changeover made to a damper. CONSTITUTION:An inlet passage 3, communicating with an outlet 17 of a tablet housing case 11, is provided to a support stand 1 supporting the tablet housing case 11, and a plurality of delivery passages 4a, 4b are provided below the inlet passage 3. A changeover damper 5 is provided swingably to the outlet side of the inlet passage 3 so that the tablets delivered to the inlet passage 3 can be guided to any one of the delivery passages 4a, 4b in plural numbers and discharged through the selected delivery passage. Therefore, by preparing a number of tablet feeders and by providing a means for guiding and supplying the tablets delivered out of the delivery passages 4a, 4b of each of the tablet feeders individually to subdivision packing devices in the same number as the delivery passages, simultaneous subdivision packing of the tablets in the different kinds becomes possible, and thereby a tablet subdivision packing device with a large processing performance can be provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tablet feeder for quantitatively supplying tablets (including capsules).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a tablet packing device for packing tablets, a device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-76102 is conventionally known.

The above-mentioned tablet packing apparatus has a large number of tablet feeders, and a controller selects and operates one tablet feeder, and the tablets discharged from the tablet feeder are introduced into a common hopper from a drop guide path. It is dropped and supplied from a lower end outlet of the hopper to a packaging device for packaging.

By the way, in the above tablet packaging device,
Since it is a packaging process for each prescription, there is a problem that the processing capacity is low and it cannot be adequately handled by a pharmacy of a large hospital with a large number of patients.

Therefore, if a plurality of packing devices of the tablet packing device are provided so that the tablets discharged from each tablet feeder can be selectively supplied to each of the packing devices, different packing devices are provided. The applicant of the present invention has found that the packaging processing of various types of tablets can be performed at the same time, and therefore, a great effect can be exerted in improving the processing capacity.

In order to form the above-mentioned tablet packaging device, a tablet feeder capable of selectively supplying tablets to each packaging device is required.

[0007]

By the way, a conventionally known tablet feeder is of a type in which tablets are continuously discharged one by one from a single outlet, and tablets are selected from a plurality of outlets. A tablet feeder that can be discharged manually has not yet been known. For this reason, it was not possible to form a tablet packaging device having a plurality of packaging devices and a large processing capacity.

In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-205526, a tablet feeding device is provided in which a plurality of compartments for accommodating tablets are provided with alignment plates, and the tablets are aligned by the rotation of the alignment plates and guided to a supply port. Is listed.

However, even in the above-mentioned tablet supply device, since the tablets in each compartment are discharged to a single supply port, when forming a tablet packaging device, the number of packaging devices is limited to one. It is not possible to obtain a tablet packaging device with high throughput.

Under the above circumstances, it is a technical object of the present invention to provide a tablet feeder capable of selectively supplying tablets to a plurality of packaging devices.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, a fixed amount dispensing device for tablets is provided on a support base, and the fixed amount dispensing device stores the tablets supported on the support base. It consists of a case and a rotor provided at the bottom of the tablet storage case, and a plurality of pockets are formed on the outer periphery of the rotor, and the tablets that enter the pocket by the rotation of the rotor are placed at the bottom of the tablet storage case. In the tablet feeder configured to discharge from one formed outlet, the support base is provided with an inlet passage communicating with the outlet and a plurality of discharge passages below the inlet passage, and between the inlet passage and the discharge passage, from the inlet passage. A configuration in which a switching damper for guiding the discharged tablets to either one of the discharge passages is swingably provided is adopted.

[0012]

In the tablet feeder having the above construction, the rotor is rotated by driving the motor, the tablets that have entered the pocket of the rotor are discharged from the outlet to the inlet passage, and the switching damper guides them to one of the discharge passages. And then discharge.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tablet feeder comprises a support base 1 and a tablet dispensing device 10 provided on the support base 1.

The fixed amount dispensing device 10 comprises a tablet storage case 1
1, a lid 12 is attached to the upper part of the tablet storage case 11 so as to be openable and closable, and when the lid 12 is opened, the tablet storage case 11 is filled with tablets.

The bottom surface 13 of the tablet storage case 10 has a conical shape, and the rotor 14 is provided on the bottom surface 13.
A conical outer surface 15 is formed on the rotor 14, and a plurality of pockets 16 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the conical outer surface 15.

The pocket 16 is open at the upper end surface of the rotor 14. The pocket 16 has a length capable of accommodating two tablets a, but may have a length capable of accommodating one tablet.

The rotor 14 is rotated by the motor 2 incorporated in the support base 1. Where motor 2
May rotate the rotor 14 at a constant speed, or may rotate intermittently with the pitch of the pockets 16 as the rotation angle.

A tablet outlet 17 is provided in the lower portion of the tablet storage case 11, and a tip end portion of a tongue piece 18 provided in the upper portion of the tablet outlet 17 has a circumferential direction formed on the conical outer surface 15 of the rotor 14. When the tablet in the pocket 16 is discharged from the outlet 17 after entering the groove 19, the tablet is prevented from being continuously discharged.

The support base 1 is provided with an inlet passage 3 at a position facing the tablet outlet 17. This entrance passage 3
Is inclined with a downward slope, and the first discharge passage 4 is provided at its lower end.
a and the second discharge passage 4b are branched.

First discharge passage 4a and second discharge passage 4b
A switching damper 5 is provided at a branch portion of the inlet passage 3. The switching damper 5 is swung about a shaft 7 by a drive device 6 such as a rotary solenoid. Due to the swing, the first discharge passage 4a communicates with the inlet passage 3 or the second discharge passage 4b communicates with the inlet passage 3.

Reference numeral 8 in the figure denotes a detection sensor for tablets discharged from the inlet passage 3, and the motor 2 is controlled based on the detection signal from the detection sensor 8.

The tablet feeder shown in the embodiment has the above structure, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the inlet passage 3 and the first discharge passage 4a are in communication with each other. In that state, when the motor 2 is driven and the rotor 14 is rotated, the tablet a that has entered the pocket 16 of the rotor 14 is discharged from the outlet 17 to the inlet passage 3 at a position facing the outlet 17,
It is discharged from the first discharge passage 4a.

When switching the tablet discharging direction, the switching damper 5 is swung by the operation of the driving device 6 so that the second discharging passage 4b communicates with the inlet passage 3. That damper 5
The tablets discharged from the outlet 17 to the inlet passage 3 by switching between are discharged from the second discharge passage 4b.

As described above, by switching the switching damper 5, the tablets discharged from the outlet 17 of the fixed amount dispensing device 10 can be selectively discharged to either the first discharge passage 4a or the second discharge passage 4b. Therefore, a large number of tablet feeders are prepared, and each discharge passage 4a of each tablet feeder is
By providing a guide means for individually guiding the tablets discharged from 4b to the same number of packaging devices as the discharge passages, it is possible to simultaneously package different types of tablets by each packaging device, and to improve the throughput. Can form a large tablet packaging device.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a first discharge passage 4a, a second discharge passage 4b and a third discharge passage 4c are provided below the inlet passage 3, and a switching damper 5'provided on the outlet side of the inlet passage 3 is formed into a tubular shape. The switching damper 5 is swung about a shaft 7 by a drive device 6 such as a rotary solenoid.

In this embodiment, the drive device 6 is operated to swing the switching damper 5 so that the switching damper 5 is communicated with any one of the first discharge passage 4a to the third discharge passage 4c, and the outlet is provided. The tablets discharged from 17 to the inlet passage 3 are guided by the switching damper 5 and discharged to the discharge passage communicating with the damper 5.

[0028]

As described above, in the tablet feeder according to the present invention, the tablets can be discharged from any one of the plurality of discharge passages by switching the switching damper. The tablets can be selectively fed to the packaging device.

Therefore, by providing a large number of tablet feeders and providing guide means for guiding the tablets discharged from the discharge passages of the tablet feeders to as many packaging devices as the discharge passages, respectively The packaging device enables simultaneous packaging of different types of tablets, and a tablet packaging device having a large processing capacity can be formed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of a tablet feeder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing another example of the above-mentioned tablet feeder.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support base 2 Inlet passage 4a 1st discharge passage 4b 2nd discharge passage 4c 3rd discharge passage 5 Damper 10 Fixed amount dispensing device 11 Tablet storage case 14 Rotor 16 Pocket 17 Tablet outlet

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fixed amount dispensing device for tablets is provided on a support base, and the fixed amount dispensing device comprises a tablet storage case supported by the support base and a rotor provided at the bottom of the tablet storage case. , A plurality of pockets are formed on the outer circumference of the rotor, and tablets that enter the pockets by the rotation of the rotor are formed on the lower portion of the tablet storage case.
In a tablet feeder configured to discharge from one outlet, the support base is provided with an inlet passage communicating with the outlet and a plurality of discharge passages below the inlet passage, and is discharged from the inlet passage between the inlet passage and the discharge passage. A tablet feeder characterized in that a switching damper for guiding tablets to either one of the discharge passages is swingably provided.