Patent Application
20220315259
The present disclosure relates to a storage and dispensing station for a blister machine for separable small piece goods, in particular drug portions and food supplement portions, as well as to a method for placing a storage container of a storage and dispensing station of the blister machine onto a dispensing station.
One or more embodiments provide a storage and dispensing station for a blister machine. The storage and dispensing station includes a storage container having a housing enclosing a receiving space having an internally circular-cylindrical portion and a bottom face having a central coupling opening, a separating device arranged in the internally circular-cylindrical portion of the housing, the separating device having a plurality of channels extending vertically through the separating device, a coupling device extending into the central coupling opening and having a lower coupling portion, and a holding device having a holding member and an actuation member, wherein the holding device prevents rotation of the separating device in a blocking position and allows rotation of the separating device in a release position. The storage and dispensing station also includes a dispensing station on which the storage container is releasably arranged. The dispensing station including a rotary drive having a shaft and a hub seated on the shaft for force-transmitting interaction with the lower coupling portion, and an opening member for interaction with the actuation member of the holding device. The lower coupling portion, the hub, the actuation member, and the opening member are set relative to one another in such a way that when arranging the storage container on the dispensing station a first effective interaction occurs between the lower coupling portion and the hub, the first effective interaction occurring prior to a second effective interaction between the actuation member and the opening member, the second effective interaction causing the movement of the holding device into a release position, and the hub is rotatable in the de-energized state.
One or more embodiments provide a storage and dispensing station for a blister machine. The storage and dispensing station includes a storage container having a housing defining a receiving space, a bottom face having a central coupling opening, a separating device arranged in the receiving space, the separating device comprising a plurality of channels, a coupling device extending into the central coupling opening and having a lower coupling portion, and a holding device comprising a holding member and an actuation member, the holding device configured to prevent rotation of the separating device in a first position and to allow rotation of the separating device in a second position. The storage and dispensing station also includes a dispensing station having a rotary drive comprising a shaft and a hub seated on the shaft, the rotary drive configured to provide a force-transmitting interaction with the lower coupling portion, and an opening member configured to interact with the actuation member of the holding device. The lower coupling portion, the hub, the actuation member and the opening member are configured to provide a first interaction between the lower coupling portion and the hub prior to providing a second interaction between the actuation member and the opening member when arranging the storage container on the dispensing station.
One or more embodiments provide a method for placing a storage container of a storage and dispensing station of a blister machine onto a dispensing station, wherein a dispensing station is provided having a hub of a rotary drive and an opening means. The storage container is provided having a housing enclosing a receiving space having an internally circular-cylindrical portion and a bottom face having a central coupling opening, a separating device arranged in the internally circular-cylindrical portion of the housing having a plurality of channels extending vertically through the separating device and having a coupling device extending into the central coupling opening and having a lower coupling portion, and a holding device having a holding means and an actuation means. The holding device preventing rotation of the separating device via the holding means. The storage container being arranged on the dispensing station, characterized in that, when arranging, initially an effective interaction between the coupling portion and the hub is initiated. The hub adapting itself to the coupling portion through a rotation and a form-fit connection and/or frictional connection being produced between the hub and the coupling portion when the interaction begins, and then an effective interaction between the actuation means and the opening means is initiated, the holding means being released when the interaction begins, so that the rotation of the separating device is allowed.
The foregoing and other features, aspects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
In the following, the storage and dispensing station according to the disclosure and the method according to the disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
The detailed description set forth below describes various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. Accordingly, dimensions are provided in regard to certain aspects as non-limiting examples. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology.
It is to be understood that the present disclosure includes examples of the subject technology and does not limit the scope of the appended claims. Various aspects of the subject technology will now be disclosed according to particular but non-limiting examples. Various embodiments described in the present disclosure may be carried out in different ways and variations, and in accordance with a desired application or implementation.
Modern blister machines, as disclosed, for example, in WO 2013/034504 A1, comprise several hundred storage and dispensing stations, depending on the level of expansion of the blister machine. A plurality of separable small piece goods are stored in each of these, and individual small piece goods can be dispensed on demand. The small piece goods are regularly drug portions and food supplement portions.
With blister machines, for example, drug portions stored in the storage and dispensing stations can be combined and blistered individually for each patient according to the medically prescribed intake times. To put together a plurality of drug portions, appropriate storage and dispensing stations for dispensing one or more drug portions are controlled by means of a control device of the blister machine. In order to dispense a drug portion, a drug portion stored in a storage container is separated with a separating device of the storage and dispensing station and transferred via a dispensing opening to a guide device of the blister machine. With the aid of the guide device, the dispensed drug portion, optionally by interposing a collecting device, is fed to a packaging device, which blisters individual or a plurality of drug portions.
For the separation of the drug portions stored in a storage container of a storage and dispensing station, the separating device comprises a plurality of channels, which are usually arranged on the outer circumference of a base body of the separating device. The channels are adjusted to the respective drug portions to be separated with regard to their dimensions such that the drug portions can only be arranged one above the other, but not adjacent to one another, in a channel. The channels may, for example, be dimensioned in such a way that only one drug portion may be received in one channel.
To dispense a drug portion from a channel, a channel is moved over the dispensing opening in the bottom face of the housing of the storage container, and the drug portion arranged in the channel (at the lowest point) slides or falls due to gravitational force into the dispensing opening. In order to prevent additional drug portions stored in or above the channel from also being dispensed, i.e., an unknown number of drug portions from being dispensed, a retaining portion of a retaining means or separator is guided or arranged at least in or above the channel in the region above the dispensing opening that is aligned with the dispensing opening. The retaining portion is arranged in or above the channel with respect to the height of the channel in such a way that only one drug portion may be arranged under the retaining portion. If the retaining portion is guided into the channel to separate the lowermost drug portion from those arranged above it, individual channel-separating projections have a slot which receives the retaining portion. If the retaining portion is arranged or guided over the channels, it is guided routinely only slightly over the upper ends of the projections to avoid additional drug portions from entering the channel when the drug portion is dispensed.
A storage and dispensing station usually comprises a dispensing station, which is usually releasably connected to the blister machine. The storage and dispensing station further comprises a storage container which is releasably arranged on the dispensing station for easy refilling and/or replacement. When refilling, the small piece goods regularly slip into the aforementioned channels of the separating device. Since the channel of the separating device, which is aligned with the dispensing opening, is blocked by the retaining portion, no small piece good can fall out of the storage container during the actual refilling. A rotation of the separating device is usually prevented by a holding device which is effective in the non-placed state.
With known storage and dispensing stations, however, there is the problem that when placing the storage container, a small piece good is occasionally dispensed unintentionally. When placing, the separating device aligns itself via a coupling device on the hub of a drive arranged in the dispensing station. Due to the rotation brought about, it is possible, depending on the nature and arrangement of the channels, that a filled channel (which was not blocked by the retaining portion) is rotated over the dispensing opening and then a small piece good is dispensed. It is true that this problem does not occur for every placing operation, but since the small piece good gets into the blister machine when it is dispensed, only occasional unwanted dispensing operations are also very disruptive.
It is therefore the object of the present disclosure to provide a storage and dispensing station in which unwanted dispensing of small piece goods is excluded when placing a storage container onto a dispensing station. It is also an object of the disclosure to provide a method for placing a storage container onto a dispensing station, in which this is excluded.
A storage and dispensing station according to the disclosure comprises a storage container having a housing enclosing a receiving space having an internally circular-cylindrical portion and a bottom face having a central coupling opening and having a separating device arranged in the internally circular-cylindrical portion of the housing having a plurality of channels extending vertically through the separating device and having a coupling device extending into the central coupling opening and having a lower coupling portion. The storage container further comprises a holding device having a holding means and an actuation means, wherein the holding device prevents rotation of the separating device in a blocking position and allows rotation of the separating device in a release position and is movable between these positions.
The storage and dispensing station according to the disclosure further comprises a dispensing station on which the storage container is releasably arranged. having a rotary drive having a shaft and a hub seated on the shaft for force-transmitting interaction with the lower coupling portion. The dispensing station further comprises an opening means for interaction with the actuation means of the holding device.
According to the disclosure, it is provided that the lower coupling portion, the hub, the actuation means, and the opening means are set relative to one another in such a way that when arranging the storage container on the dispensing station prior to an effective interaction between the actuation means and the opening means, which causes the movement of the holding device into the release position, an effective interaction occurs between the lower coupling portion and the hub. Since a rotation of the coupling device (and thus the separating device) is only possible in the release position, it is necessary according to the disclosure that the hub is rotatable in the de-energized state so that when the interaction between the hub and the lower coupling portion begins, the hub (and not the separating device) can rotate into the coupling position. According to the disclosure, precisely that which led to the unintentional dispensing is prevented, namely the possibility of aligning (via a rotation) the coupling device (and thus the separating device) on the hub. When aligning the coupling device with or on the hub, only the hub must (and can) rotate. In the case of storage and dispensing stations from the prior art, this was different—the alignment causes the unwanted rotation of the separating device and thus possibly the dispensing of a small piece good.
A number of possibilities are known to the person skilled in the art as to how the aforementioned components can be placed relative to one another according to the disclosure. Thus, it is only possible to solve the interaction between the opening means and the actuation means with the help of a light barrier or a contactor when position X is reached: Trigger interaction (trigger release position of the holding device).
In a structurally particularly simple solution that only uses purely mechanical components, it is provided that the opening means is designed as a recess in the dispensing station and the actuation means is designed as a corresponding vertical nose, that the interaction between the hub and the lower coupling portion defines an effective coupling engagement depth and the interaction between the actuation means and the opening means defines an effective holding engagement depth (HET) and that the coupling engagement depth (CET) is greater than the holding engagement depth (HET). By designing the engagement depths according to the disclosure, it is ensured that the coupling interaction is always first engaged before the holding interaction (and thus the approach to the release position of the holding device) is initiated.
In one or more embodiments, the hub and the opening means have an effective height that is identical in relation to the vertical axis of the dispensing station, and the lower coupling portion, in relation to the vertical axis of the storage container, has an effective depth below an effective depth of the actuation means. The term “effective height” means the “height” or position within the dispensing station from which an interaction with the corresponding component (e.g. hub <->lower coupling portion) takes place. Correspondingly, the “effective depth” describes the “depth” or position within the storage container from which an interaction with the corresponding component can take place.
In one or more embodiments, which is also kept structurally very simple, the lower coupling portion and the actuation means have an identical effective depth in relation to the vertical axis of the storage container. The hub, in relation to the vertical axis of the dispensing station, has an effective height above the effective height of the opening means.
According to the disclosure, a dispensing station is provided with a hub of a rotary drive and with an opening means. Furthermore, a storage container is provided having a housing enclosing a receiving space having an internally circular-cylindrical portion and a bottom face having a central coupling opening, a separating device arranged in the internally circular-cylindrical portion of the housing having a plurality of channels extending vertically through the separating device and having a coupling device extending into the central coupling opening and having a lower coupling portion and a holding device having a holding means and an actuation means, the holding device preventing a rotation of the separating device via the holding means. The storage container is then arranged on the dispensing station, initially an effective interaction being initiated according to the disclosure between the lower coupling portion and the hub, the hub adapting (or being able to adapt) itself to the coupling portion through a rotation and a form-fit connection and/or frictional connection being produced between the hub and coupling portion when the interaction begins, and an effective interaction between the actuation means and the opening means is then initiated, the holding means being released when the interaction begins, so that the rotation of the separating device is allowed.
In one or more embodiments, which can be carried out with a structurally particularly simply designed storage container or designed dispensing station, the opening means being designed as a recess in the dispensing station and the actuation means being designed as a corresponding vertical nose, the interaction between the hub and the lower coupling portion is initiated by generating an effective coupling engagement depth (KET) by means of a frictional connection and/or form-fit connection of the hub and the lower coupling portion, and the interaction between the actuation means and the opening means is initiated by guiding the actuation means into the opening means and thereby releasing the holding means, and thus an effective holding engagement depth (HET) is generated, the coupling engagement depth (KET) being greater than the holding engagement depth (HET).
Each dispensing station 100 comprises a lower portion 130 and an upper portion 120. The upper portion 120 comprises a projection 121 on which a storage container can be placed. For this purpose, a lower housing portion of the storage container 1 is adjusted to the geometry of the projection 121. The projection 121 comprises an opening 123 which, when the storage container 1 is placed, is aligned with a dispensing opening 22 in a bottom face 20 of a housing 10 of a storage container 1, as is described with reference to the following figures. In the event of separation, a small piece good falls from a channel 32 via the aforementioned dispensing opening 22 into the opening 123 of the projection 121. The upper portion 120 of the dispensing station 100 further comprises a vertical portion 122, via which the dispensing station 100 can be fastened to the blister machine.
Each dispensing station 100 further comprises an opening member 125 which, as shown in
As shown, the storage container 1 placed on the dispensing station 100 comprises a housing 10 which comprises an internally circular-cylindrical portion 11. An upper part of the housing 10 is provided with a cover 13 which can be removed for the purpose of refilling small piece goods. In a lower part of the housing 10, the storage container 1 comprises a base plate 12 which is adjusted to the geometry of the dispensing station 100 and the projection 121. Furthermore, for easy handling, the storage container 1 comprises a handle 14 with which the storage container 1 can be removed from the dispensing station 100 and placed thereon again.
In the detailed view shown in
In the detailed view shown in
As can be seen in
As shown, the coupling device 40 further comprises a circumferential groove 44, wherein for the circumferential groove 44 shown the bottom face thereof is not of a circular design, but is rather designed in the form of a polygon. A holding member 54 of the holding device 50 can engage in this groove 44. As shown, the holding member 54, as indicated in
The holding device 50 comprises, in addition to the holding member 54, a web 52 designed curved in portions which ends at one end in a vertical actuation member 51 which, as described in more detail with reference to the following figures, can interact with an opening member 125 of the dispensing station 100 to release or lock the holding device 50. Opposite the actuation member 51, the holding device 50 has a fastening member 53. As shown, as is indicated in
In a view of
According to aspects of the disclosure, a rotation of the separating device 30 cannot take place, since when the aforementioned interaction takes place there is no interaction between the actuation member 51 and the opening member 125 yet, this interaction being necessary for releasing or moving the holding member 54 away. According to aspects of the disclosure, the rotation of the separating device 30 (via the coupling device 40) is only released when the coupling device 40 already interacts with the hub 152 and the hub 152 (and not the separating device 30) has been rotated in the course of this interaction. In order to achieve this, a multitude of special embodiments of the aforementioned components are possible. For example, it is contemplated that the interaction between the actuation member 51 and the opening member 125 is triggered by a light barrier or an electrical contact. However, these designs are structurally relatively complex and prone to errors.
In one or more embodiments of the storage and dispensing station 5 according to the disclosure, a different approach is therefore used, namely a purely mechanical one. The actuation member 51 of the holding device 50 is designed as a type of nose, and the counterpart, the opening member 125, as a depression in the projection 121, this depression having a special geometry.
The storage and dispensing stations 5 according to the disclosure described in more detail in the following figures have in common that the interaction between the hub 152 and the lower coupling portion 42 of the coupling device 40 defines an effective coupling engagement depth KET and the interaction between the actuation member 51 of the holding device 50 and the opening member 125 defines an effective holding engagement depth HET, the coupling engagement depth KET being greater than the holding engagement depth HET. This always has the consequence that the aforementioned principle is fulfilled when placing the storage container 1 onto the dispensing station 100, namely that the effective interaction between the lower coupling portion 42 and the hub 152 only takes place before the interaction between the actuation member 51 and the opening member 125 causes a releasing of the brake, i.e. a moving of the holding member 51 away from the coupling device 40.
As already explained, the release of the holding device 40 as described here is effected purely mechanically. For this purpose, it is necessary that the actuation member 51 is moved through the opening member 125 in such a way that the holding member 54 no longer prevents rotation of the coupling device 30, i.e. the holding member 54 must be moved away from the axis of rotation of the coupling device 30. With regard to the holding device 50 shown in more detail in the aforementioned figures, it can be said that it has to be “bent open.” In order to achieve this, the opening member 125 has, as can be seen in
In
In
One or more embodiments of a method according to aspects of the disclosure is described below. In one or more embodiments of the method for placing a storage container 1 of a storage and dispensing station 5 onto a dispensing station 100, the dispensing station 100 and the storage container 1 are first provided. In this state of readiness, the holding device 50 of the storage container 1 is in the locked position, and a dispensing of a small piece good by a rotation of the separating device 30 cannot take place. The storage container 1 is then arranged on the dispensing station 100, which is illustrated in
An effective interaction between the actuation member 51 and the opening member 125 is then initiated, the holding member 54 being released when the interaction begins, so that the rotation of the separating device 30 is allowed. As shown in
The present disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. The disclosure provides various examples of the subject technology, and the subject technology is not limited to these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects.
A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the subject technology.
The word “exemplary” or the term “for example” is used herein to mean “serving as an example or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” or “for example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. In one aspect, various alternative configurations and operations described herein may be considered to be at least equivalent.
As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the term “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each item of the list. The phrase “at least one of” does not require selection of at least one item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrase “at least one of A, B, or C” may refer to: only A, only B, or only C; or any combination of A, B, and C.
A phrase such as an “aspect” does not imply that such aspect is essential to the subject technology or that such aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. An aspect may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa. A phrase such as an “embodiment” does not imply that such embodiment is essential to the subject technology or that such embodiment applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an embodiment may apply to all embodiments, or one or more embodiments. An embodiment may provide one or more examples. A phrase such an embodiment may refer to one or more embodiments and vice versa. A phrase such as a “configuration” does not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to a configuration may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A configuration may provide one or more examples. A phrase such a configuration may refer to one or more configurations and vice versa.
In one aspect, unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. In one aspect, they are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations or processes disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations or processes may be rearranged. Some of the steps, operations or processes may be performed simultaneously. Some or all of the steps, operations, or processes may be performed automatically, without the intervention of a user. The accompanying method claims, if any, present elements of the various steps, operations or processes in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.
All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.” Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The Title, Background, Summary, Brief Description of the Drawings and Abstract of the disclosure are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the Detailed Description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and the various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims and to encompass all legal equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement of 35 U.S.C. § 101, 102, or 103, nor should they be interpreted in such a way.
