Patent Application
20140305964
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an automatic pill dispensing machine with pill box releasing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Automatic pill dispensing machines have pill pick-up arms to take out pills from the boxes. Sometimes the automatic pill dispensing machines may lose power, which causes the pill pick-up arms not able to pick up the pills normally.
Therefore, there is a need for improvement in the art.
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 driving member 10 includes a fixing bracket 11 and a first gear 12 fixed on the fixing bracket 11. A number of first teeth 121 are positioned around the first gear 12.
The linking member 20 includes a linking axle 21, a second gear 22 and a resisting bracket 23. A third gear 211 is positioned at a top of the linking axle 21. A number of third teeth 212 are positioned around the third gear 211. A ladder portion 213 is positioned on the linking axle 21 adjacent to the third gear 211. An inserting portion 214 extends downward from a bottom of the linking axle 21. In one embodiment, a width of the inserting portion 214 is substantially less than a diameter of the linking axle 21.
An accommodating portion 221 substantially perpendicularly extends upward from the second gear 22. An inserting hole 222 is defined in the accommodating portion 221. A number of second teeth 223 are positioned around the second gear 22. The resisting bracket 23 includes a bracket body 231. A resisting tab 232 substantially perpendicularly extends from a bottom edge of the bracket body 231. In one embodiment, the bracket body 231 is substantially arc-shaped.
The releasing member 30 includes a pivoting axle 31. A first pivoting hole 311 is defined in the pivoting axle 31. A releasing arm 32 substantially perpendicularly extends from a top of the pivoting axle 31. An engaging portion 33 substantially perpendicularly extends from a bottom of the pivoting axle 31. A number of fourth teeth 331 are positioned on a side edge of the engaging portion 33. A pivoting tab 332 extends upward from a bottom of the engaging portion 33. A first end of the spring 90 is fixed on the releasing arm 32. A second end of the spring 90 resists against the automatic pill dispensing machine.
The dialing member 40 includes a transmitting unit 41 and a dialing unit 42. A number of fifth teeth 411 are positioned on a side edge of the transmitting unit 41. A second pivoting hole 412 is defined at a top of the transmitting unit 41. Two supporting portions 413 substantially diagonally extend into the transmitting unit 41. A pivoting portion 414 is positioned on the transmitting unit 41 adjacent to each of the two supporting portions 413.
A blocking portion 415 is movably mounted to each pivoting portion 414. A first end of each blocking portion 415 is pivotally mounted to the corresponding pivoting portion 414. A second end of each blocking portion 415 connects with the corresponding supporting portion 413. A dialing pole 421 is movably mounted to dialing unit 42.
A third pivoting hole 422 is defined at a top of the dialing unit 42. A restricting portion 423 substantially perpendicularly extends from a top of the dialing pole 421. In one embodiment, a diameter of the second pivoting hole 412 is substantially equal to a diameter of the third pivoting hole 422. A distance between the two pivoting portions 414 is substantially greater than a width of the restricting portion 423.
The dialing tray 50 includes a tray body 51 and a fourth gear 52 mounted to the tray body 51. A number of slots 511 and an opening 512 are defined in the tray body 51. A fourth pivoting hole 521 is defined in the fourth gear 52. A number of sixth teeth 522 are positioned around the fourth gear 52. The pill box 60 is fixed on the tray body 51.
In assembly, the resisting tab 232 of the resisting bracket 23 resists against the second gear 22. The second gear 22 and the resisting bracket 23 are located in the first pivoting hole 311 in the pivoting axle 31. The linking axle 21 is located in the first pivoting hole 311. The inserting portion 214 is inserted in the inserting hole 222 in the accommodating portion 221. The bracket body 231 resists against the ladder portion 213 of the linking axle 21. The linking member 20 is mounted to the releasing member 30.
The assembled linking member 20 and the releasing member 30 are moved toward the dialing tray 50. The pivoting tab 332 is inserted in the fourth pivoting hole 521 of the fourth gear 52. The second teeth 223 of the second gear 22 engage with the sixth teeth 522 of the fourth gear 52. The second pivoting hole 412 within the transmitting unit 41 is aligned with the third pivoting hole 422 in the dialing unit 42.
A pivoting number (not shown) passes through the second pivoting hole 412 and the third pivoting hole 422. The transmitting unit 41 is mounted to the dialing unit 42. The restricting portion 423 is above one of the blocking portions 415. The driving member 10, the assembled transmitting unit 41 and the dialing unit 42, and the pill box 60 are mounted to the dialing tray 50.
When the automatic pill dispensing machine is powered off, the releasing arm 32 is not driven by the force. The second end of the spring 90 does not resist against the automatic pill dispensing machine. The spring 90 is elastically returned. The first teeth 121 disengage from the third teeth 212. The releasing arm 32 rotates toward the dialing member 40 by the spring 90 round the pivoting axle 31. The fourth teeth 331 of the engaging portion 33 engage with the fifth teeth 411 of the transmitting unit 41. The engaging portion 33 rotates the transmitting unit 41. The restricting portion 423 drops to a gap between the two blocking portions 415 from above one of the blocking portions 415. The dialing pole 421 drops in one of the slots 511 of the tray body 51.
The dialing unit 42 is rotated around the pivoting number. The dialing pole 421 rotates together with the dialing unit 42. The restricting portion 423 on the dialing pole 421 moves diagonally along one of the two supporting portions 413. When the restricting portion 423 moves to a connecting point of the one supporting portion 413 and the corresponding blocking portion 415, the blocking portion 415 rotates around the corresponding pivoting portion 414. The restricting portion 423 passes through the corresponding blocking portion 415 and is above the blocking portion 415 again. While the restricting portion 423 moves diagonally along the supporting portion 413, the dialing pole 421 resists against one side in the one slot 511. The dialing pole 421 rotates the tray body 51. The pill box 60 is rotated to the opening 512. The pills in the pill box 60 can be received by the automatic pill dispensing machine.
In one embodiment, when the dialing pole 421 dials the slot 511 one time, the pill box 60 rotates on the tray body 51 is a distance substantially equal to a distance between two slots 511. A number of pill boxes 60 can be fixed on the tray body 51. When the tray body 51 needs to be rotated more times, the dialing unit 42 is rotated around the pivoting number to drop the dialing pole 421 in the slot 511 again. The dialing unit 42 is rotated around the pivoting number again. The dialing pole 421 rotates the tray body 51. The pill box 60 is rotated to the opening 512.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102113008 | Apr 2013 | TW | national |
