US 5,667,096 AGranted

Drug storing apparatus for automatic drug dispensing machines

OwnerKing-Sheng Wuinventor

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Abstract

A drug storing apparatus for an automatic drug dispensing machine includes a frame provided with a multiplicity of inclined supports arranged one on top of the other or in rows for supporting a multiplicity of drug cases, and the supports may also be configured into rails. The drug cases are detachably connected to a multiplicity of drive boxes which may be mounted onto the frame along the inclined rails. The drug cases are arranged in such a manner that their outlets are oriented towards a central portion of a hopper. Each drive box is also provided with guide rails and contains therein a motor which has an axle oriented towards its corresponding drug case. When a drug case slides along the guide rails to fit onto its corresponding drive box, a coupling of a feeding element of the drug case just fits onto the axle of the motor. A computer control center controls the rotation of the motor axles of the drug cases so that the feeding elements thereof may feed predetermined kinds and number of drugs into the central portion of the hopper.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A drug storing apparatus for use in an automatic drug dispensing machine, comprising a frame for supporting a multiplicity of drug cases, each of said drug cases having an outlet and a feeding element disposed near said outlet for automatically feeding a fixed number of drugs, so that tablets or pills stored in each of said drug cases may, according to a command from a computer control center, be individually discharged via said outlet into a hopper located below a lower portion of said frame to be ready for packing, wherein

said frame has a multiplicity of inclined rails oriented towards a same direction;
each of said drug cases has an inner end and an outer end, said outer end being disposed at a position higher than that of said inner end with an inclined plate connecting one bottom edge of said outer end and a bottom edge of said inner end, said inner end being provided with said outlet and said feeding element;
and
a multiplicity of drive elements each having a drive box slidable along said inclined rails for fitting onto said frame are provided for feeding a fixed number of drugs, said drive box accommodating therein at least a motor and connecting to at least one of said drug cases for detachably fitting onto said inclined rails of said frame as a whole.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.