Tablet cassette

A tablet cassette comprising:

• a tablet container having a tablet containing space therein for containing a plurality of tablets in a random manner, the tablet container including a bottom wall portion formed with a discharge port to allow the plurality of tablets in the tablet containing space to fall down one by one;
• a rotor including a hollow rotary shaft having an axial line extending in a direction orthogonal to the bottom wall portion and having an opening portion on an opposite side to the tablet containing space, and a rotary body configured to rotate about the axial line together with the hollow rotary shaft in the tablet containing space of the tablet container and having a plurality of tablet receiving portions provided in a peripheral portion of the rotary body at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction to receive the tablets one by one and to allow the tablets to pass therethrough to the discharge port, wherein the rotor is rotated when a motor is rotated with a drive shaft operable to be rotated by the motor being fitted with the hollow rotary shaft;
• and
• a lock mechanism configured to inhibit rotation of the hollow rotary shaft when the hollow rotary shaft is pulled off from the drive shaft, and to allow the hollow rotary shaft to rotate together with the drive shaft when the hollow rotary shaft is fitted with the drive shaft, wherein:
• the lock mechanism includes:
• a slit formed in the hollow rotary shaft to penetrate the hollow rotary shaft in a radial direction and extending in an axial direction,
• a linear moving member provided in the slit so as to be linearly movable in the slit, the linear moving member including a follower portion located in an internal space of the hollow rotary shaft and an engaging portion located outside the hollow rotary shaft,
• an engaged portion provided on the bottom wall portion of the tablet container and spaced from the hollow rotary shaft to surround the hollow rotary shaft, and
• an urging member operable to urge the linear moving member such that the engaging portion is moved toward the engaged portion and the follower portion is linearly moved toward the bottom wall portion;
• and
• the linear moving member is moved toward the bottom wall portion by an urging force of the urging member to cause the engaging portion to engage with the engaged portion when the hollow rotary shaft is pulled off from the drive shaft, and the follower portion is pushed by the drive shaft to cause the linear moving member to move in the slit away from the bottom wall portion, thereby cancelling engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion when the hollow rotary shaft is fitted with the drive shaft.