Patent Application
20140097194
1. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to pill dispensing apparatuses, especially to an automatic pill dispenser.
2. Description of Related Art
It is common for the elderly or infirm to ingest many different pills according to a schedule. The scheduling can be complex and involve taking medications in different amounts at differing times. Such complexities can be difficult to remember and can result in dangerous mistakes. Accordingly, it is an object to provide new and novel method and apparatus for accurately dispensing varying doses of medications at varying prescribed times.
Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.”
The top cover 10 is substantially columnar. A cross section of the top cover 10 is substantially circular. The top cover 10 defines a top wall 11, an annular sidewall 12, and an operating wall 13 oblique to the top wall 11. An operation panel 15 is located on the operating wall 13 to control the pill fetching device 100. The operation panel 15 may include buttons and a display for display user interface. A processor and a storage may be connected to the operation panel 15. The sidewall 12 defines a pill positioning opening 124 for positioning the plurality of pill boxes 50 and a pill fetching opening 122 for positioning the fetching box 60. A moveable door 19 is located on the top cover 10 to cover the pill positioning opening 124.
Each pill box 50 is substantially trapezoidal. The width of each box 50 is reduced from an outer side to an inner side. Each pill box 50 includes an oblique bottom wall 51 to centralize the pills 200. The fetching box 60 is substantially trapezoidal. The fetching box 60 includes a baffle 62 for covering the pill fetching opening 122.
The driving structure 140 includes a driving motor 141 and a driving pole 143. The driving motor 141 can drive a driving worm 1411. The driving pole 143 is rotatable about a first vertical axis. The driving worm 1411 meshes with the driving pole 143. The rotation arm 110 is connected to be rotated by the driving pole 143.
The lifting structure 150 includes a lifting motor 151, a lifting gear 153, and a lifting worm 155. The lifting gear 153 is driven by the lifting motor 151. The lifting gear meshes with the lifting worm 155. When the lifting motor 151 operates, the lifting worm 155 then rotates about a second vertical axis. The lifting worm 155 includes an outer thread.
The picker 130 includes a mounting portion 131, a body 133, and a gasket 135 located on a bottom surface of the body 133. The mounting portion 131 meshes with the lifting worm 155. When the lifting worm 155 rotates about the second vertical axis, the mounting portion 131 can move along the second vertical axis. The tube 162 extends to the gasket through the body 133.
The tube 162 is plastic and flexible. The tube 162 is connected to the pump 160.
The image fetching structure 180 includes a bracket 181, a camera 185 located on the bracket 181, and a photo flash 183. The image fetching structure 180 can detect if there are pills located in the pill box 50 and may further detect what is the type of the pills in the pill box 50.
In assembly, the plurality of pill positioning boxes 50 and the fetching box 60 are located on the chassis 20. The pill fetching device 100 is located on the chassis 20. The operation panel 15 is mounted to the operation wall 13. The top cover 10 is mounted to the chassis 20. The door 19 is located on the pill positioning opening 124. The plurality of pills 19 can be positioned in the plurality of pill boxes 50 through the pill fetching opening 124.
The plurality of pill boxes 50 can store different types of pills 200, so that the picker 130 can fetch desired types of pills 200 from different pill boxes 50. The automatic pill dispenser can automatically fetch predetermined pills from the pill boxes 50 to the pill fetching box 60 so that users do not have to remember which pill to take. Varying doses of medications and varying prescribed times can be predefined in the automatic pill dispenser through the operation panel 15.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101137183 | Oct 2012 | TW | national |
