A medicine feeding unit configured to feed solid medicines, the unit including: a medicine feeder and a driven shaft; and a support having a driving shaft that is connected with the driven shaft, the support being configured to guide the medicine feeder so as to slide in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the driving shaft, and to detachably support the medicine feeder. The driven shaft has a driven shaft body and a driven engagement member. The driving shaft has a driving shaft body and a driving engagement member. The unit further includes a retraction mechanism configured to retract the driven engagement member in the axial direction so as not to interfere with the driving engagement member when the medicine feeder is guided to slide with respect to the support.

A medicine feeding unit configured to feed solid medicines, the unit including: a medicine feeder and a driven shaft; and a support having a driving shaft that is connected with the driven shaft, the support being configured to guide the medicine feeder so as to slide in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the driving shaft, and to detachably support the medicine feeder. The driven shaft has a driven shaft body and a driven engagement member. The driving shaft has a driving shaft body and a driving engagement member. The unit further includes a retraction mechanism configured to retract the driven engagement member in the axial direction so as not to interfere with the driving engagement member when the medicine feeder is guided to slide with respect to the support.

A PTP packaging machine includes: a filler that fills a predetermined content into pocket portions formed in a strip-shaped container film; a sealer that is provided on a downstream side of the filler and mounts a strip-shaped cover film to the container film to close the pocket portions and obtain a strip-shaped PTP film including the cover film mounted to the container film; and a puncher that is provided on a downstream side of the sealer and punches out an expected sheet portion of the PTP film that is a region of eventually forming a predetermined PTP sheet and thereby obtain the PTP sheet.

Provided is a medicine dispensing apparatus including a plurality of medicine cassettes for respectively dispensing desired types of medicines. The medicine dispensing apparatus allocates medicine information on a medicine to be dispensed to one of the medicine cassettes when the medicine information is given. Then, the medicine dispensing apparatus drives the medicine cassette according to a predetermined driving condition corresponding to the medicine information allocated to the medicine cassette to dispense the medicine from the medicine cassette. By using the medicine dispensing apparatus, it is possible to reduce a user work for dispensing the desired types of medicines.

A system, and associated method, for launching and delivering separated food product in organized groups to a robotized packaging station for the product. The system initiates the delivery via a metered hopper of food product delivering the product to a launch V-belt that aligns the product end to end. A successive singulator belt, positioned adjacent to and receiving product from the launch belt, further organizes the product into a single file alignment. An optional separator belt may follow the singulator belt to create gaps between successive product units. The product is then delivered to a pick belt for product to be provided to the packaging robot. The system product information is from a single (per product delivery line) sensor, enabling intergrated end-to-end control from hopper to robot, and a nearly continuous motion of said pick belt.

A system, and associated method, for launching and delivering separated food product in organized groups to a robotized packaging station for the product. The system initiates the delivery via a metered hopper of food product delivering the product to a launch V-belt that aligns the product end to end. A successive singulator belt, positioned adjacent to and receiving product from the launch belt, further organizes the product into a single file alignment. An optional separator belt may follow the singulator belt to create gaps between successive product units. The product is then delivered to a pick belt for product to be provided to the packaging robot. The system product information is from a single (per product delivery line) sensor, enabling intergrated end-to-end control from hopper to robot, and a nearly continuous motion of said pick belt.

A storage container for a storage and delivery station for drugs is provided. The storage container includes a retainer for preventing a multiple drug portions from being delivered simultaneously. The storage container includes a housing that surrounds a receiving chamber and has a circular cylindrical section and a base surface, and a separating device disposed rotatably in the circular cylindrical section and having multiple projections and channels. Each projection has a surface, the uppermost points of the surface defining an upper receiver boundary plane. The storage container also includes a retainer with a fastening section and a retaining section, the retaining section preventing entry of the drug portions into a channel aligned with a delivery opening, and at least one cam for removing drug portions from the retaining section, the cam being movable above the upper receiver boundary plane over the retaining section.

A medicine feeding unit configured to feed solid medicines, the unit including: a medicine feeder having a driven shaft and a support having a driving shaft that is connected with the driven shaft. The driven shaft has a driven shaft body and a driven engagement member. The driving shaft has a driving shaft body and a driving engagement member. The driven engagement member is biased in a direction approaching the driving engagement member. The unit further includes a rotation preventing part configured to allow the driven engagement member to rotate in a state in which the driven engagement member is engaged with the driving engagement member, and to prevent the driven engagement member from rotating in a state in which the driven engagement member abuts the driving engagement member without being engaged therewith, in a state in which the medicine feeder is mounted on the support.

A medicine feeding unit configured to feed solid medicines, the unit including: a medicine feeder having a driven shaft and a support having a driving shaft that is connected with the driven shaft. The driven shaft has a driven shaft body and a driven engagement member. The driving shaft has a driving shaft body and a driving engagement member. The driven engagement member is biased in a direction approaching the driving engagement member. The unit further includes a rotation preventing part configured to allow the driven engagement member to rotate in a state in which the driven engagement member is engaged with the driving engagement member, and to prevent the driven engagement member from rotating in a state in which the driven engagement member abuts the driving engagement member without being engaged therewith, in a state in which the medicine feeder is mounted on the support.

A drug packaging device includes a drug accommodating/dispensing unit that supplies various types of drugs, a drug packaging portion in which a drug supplied from the drug accommodating/dispensing unit is packaged in a packaging sheet, a drug packaging introducing member that drops the drug to be packaged into the packaging sheet in the drug packaging portion), a pooling portion that pools, upstream of this drug packaging introducing member, the drug, and a drug imaging device that captures an image of the drug in the pooling portion. The drug imaging device performs an imaging process of capturing an image of the drug in the pooling portion in a non-backlit state, and an imaging process of capturing an image of the drug in the pooling portion in a backlit state.