# US 2013/0153594 A1 · Medicament dispensing machine and medicament dispensing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153594 A1 - Document ID: US20130153594A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/806,137 - Filed: 2011-06-28 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-30 - Assignees: Yuyama Mfg. Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shoji Yuyama; Masahiko Kasuya - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153594A1 ## CPC - B65D 83/00: Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents (dispensing means incorporated in closures B65D47/00) - G07F 11/42: the articles being delivered by motor-driven means - G07F 17/0092: {for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00)} - B65D 2583/00: Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract The disclosed device and method increase the accommodation amount of blister packages, can dispense quickly and are capable of always positioning in a prescribed position and dispensing in the right manner, even when dispensing fractions. A storage container (2), wherein blister packages (4) are accommodated in a stacked state, is provided with an outlet (13) and an opening/closing door (10). The opening/closing door (10) is provided with: a holding part (19) which can move to a holding position which holds the blister package (4) being discharged from the outlet in the storage container (2) and a releasing position which releases the package; a biasing part which biases the holding part (19) to the holding position; and a reference surface, which, when the holding part is moved to the releasing position, the lower edge part of the blister package can come into contact with, and which enables positioning to be carried out. A gripping member (24) is provided with an action part (52) which moves the holding part (19) against a biasing force of the biasing part, from the holding position to the releasing position, grips the blister package (4) held in the holding part (19) of the opening/closing door (10), and can transport the blister package (4) toward a cutting member (25), and transport the remainder of the blister package (4) after the fraction is cut by the cutting member (25), so the remainder is held in the holding part (19) of the opening/closing door (10). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medicine dispensing device comprising: a device body; a storage container that accommodates in a stacked state a plurality of blister packages in which medicines are separately packed, the storage container being attached to the device body such that a direction in which the blister packages are stacked is horizontal or approximately horizontal direction; a dispensing member movably provided at the device body, the dispensing member moving up to the storage container and dispensing the accommodated blister package; a gripping member that grips and transports the blister package dispensed by the dispensing member; and a cutting member that cuts a fraction out of the blister package that is gripped and transported by the gripping member, wherein the storage container includes: an outlet formed in a bottom surface at one end side for taking out the blister package; a biasing member that biases the accommodated blister package towards the outlet side; and an opening/closing door that is disposed at an outer end surface at the outlet side, wherein the opening/closing door includes: a guide reception part that guides the blister package that is dispensed from the outlet of the storage container; a holding part that is capable of moving between a holding position for holding the blister package with the guide reception part and a releasing position for releasing the blister package; and a biasing part that biases the holding part towards the holding position, wherein the guide reception part has a reference surface with which a lower edge part of the blister package can come into contact so as to position the blister package when the holding part is moved to the releasing position, and wherein the gripping member has an action part that can move the holding part from the holding position to the releasing position against a biasing force of the biasing part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medicine dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping member includes a pair of holding pieces that is openable and closable, and a sensor that is capable of detecting the blister package. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The medicine dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the opening/closing door can be positioned at a normal dispensing position and at a fraction dispensing position, the normal dispensing position allowing a dispensing operation of the blister package by the dispensing member, and the fraction dispensing position allowing a dispensing operation of the blister package by the dispensing member and enabling the holding part to hold the dispensed blister package, and wherein the gripping member can grip at the fraction dispensing position the blister package that is held by the holding part of the opening/closing door and transport the blister package to the cutting member, and the remaining blister package after the fraction is cut by the cutting member is transported and held by the holding part of the opening/closing door. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The medicine dispensing device according to claim 1, the medicine dispensing device further comprising a control member for positioning the lower edge part of the blister package by its own weight with respect to the reference surface by driving and controlling the gripping member and rotating the holding part once to the releasing position by the action part when holding the blister package at the opening/closing door. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The medicine dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the holding part of the opening/closing door includes a magnetic material, and wherein the action part of the gripping member includes a magnet that can attract the holding part. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The medicine dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein the gripping member includes a magnet at one holding piece, and when the holding piece is positioned at the releasing position, the holding part of the opening/closing door is attracted and a holding state of the blister package is released. ### Claim 7 A medicine dispensing method performed by a medicine dispensing device, the medicine dispensing device comprising: a device body; a storage container that accommodates in a stacked state a plurality of blister packages in which medicines are separately packed, the storage container being attached to the device body such that a direction in which the blister packages are stacked is horizontal or approximately horizontal direction; a dispensing member movably provided at the device body, the dispensing member moving up to the storage container and dispensing the accommodated blister package; a gripping member that grips and transports the blister package dispensed by the dispensing member; and a cutting member that cuts a fraction out of the blister package that is gripped and transported by the gripping member, the medicine dispensing method comprising: positioning a lower edge part of the blister package by its own weight with respect to a reference surface by driving and controlling the gripping member and rotating a holding part once to the releasing position by an action part when holding the blister package at the opening/closing door.