Medicine tray supply apparatus

A medicine tray supply apparatus for supplying medicine trays to a tray transport line, the medicine tray supply apparatus comprising:

• a medicine tray storage member capable of storing the medicine trays in a stacked condition;
• and
• a carrier on which the medicine trays are supported in a stacked state,
• the medicine tray storage member including:
• a tray support member for supporting the medicine trays;
• a tray transport member having a transport mechanism for transporting the medicine trays, the tray transport member constituting a part of the tray transport line, the tray transport member being positioned at substantially the same level as leg portions of the carrier;
• and
• a control portion for allowing the tray support member to move down to put the stacked medicine trays on the tray transport member, allowing the tray support member to support and move up the next medicine trays positioned above the lowermost one, and allowing the tray transport member to supply one of the medicine trays situated at the lowermost position to the tray transport line,
• wherein the tray transport member includes cut out portions in which the leg portions of the carrier are movable, thereby permitting the leg portions to be moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to a medicine tray transporting direction,
• wherein the tray transport member comprises a first transport portion and second transport portions positioned on opposite sides of the first transport portion, a first one of the cutouts being defined between the first transport portion and a first one of the second transport portions, and a second of the cutouts being defined between the first transport portion and a second one of the second transport portions.