US 6,481,180 B1Granted

Solid preparation filling apparatus

AssigneeSanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

InventorsHideyuki Takahashi, Hitoshi Ishiwatari, Manabu Haraguchi, Toshihiko Ota

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A solid preparation filling apparatus for filling solid preparations such as tablets into a container and avoiding mixture with any other preparation. Each type of solid preparation is to be ejected from its respective tablet case, and the upper end inlet of a holding cell is associated with the discharge port of a hopper that receives the ejected solid preparation from the tablet case by rotating and moving the holding cells to adjust their positions so that the solid preparation falling from a tablet case is accommodated in a predetermined holding cell. When filling the solid preparation in a container, the holding cell is rotated and moved so that its outlet is matched with a chute and the holding cell shutter is opened. The holding cell and the shutter constitute a holding unit, and a plurality of holding units are mounted on the rotating plate which rotates under the hopper.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A solid preparation dispensing and filling apparatus comprising:

a plurality of tablet cases each for holding therein a respective type of solid preparation to be dispensed;
a plurality of hoppers each having an inlet and a discharge port, the inlet of each of said hoppers located below a respective group of said tablet cases to receive the preparations dispensed therefrom;
a rotatable plate having a plurality of holding cells mounted thereon, each said holding cell having
an inlet to be positioned below the discharge of each of said plurality of hoppers as said plate is rotated,
an outlet, and
a shutter normally closing said holding cell outlet;
a guide portion having an inlet positioned below said rotating plate and an outlet from which the preparation is dispensed from the apparatus for falling into a container;
and
means for opening said shutter of a said holding cell holding a preparation therein when said holding cell has its outlet positioned above said guide portion inlet.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/571,551Filed 16 May 2000
Priority: JP 11-14046220 May 1999
Granted: 19 Nov 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B65B 37/08
Supplying or feeding fluent-solid, plastic, or liquid material, or loose masses of small articles, to be packaged: by rotary feeders
B65B 5/103
By gravity: for packaging pills or tablets
G07F 17/0092
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles
B65B
Machines, apparatus or devices for, or methods of, packaging articles or materials