Device for separating medication packages and a medication dispenser

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for separating medication packages from a strip of medication packages. The device comprises a cutting base along which the strip of medication packages is to be moved, a circular cutting blade arranged perpendicularly against the cutting base, and an actuator connected to the circular cutting blade and configured to move the circular cutting blade in opposite first and second directions for cutting the strip between two successive medication packages. In the device the actuator is connected to the circular cutting blade with a spring suspension allowing the circular cutting blade to move in opposite third and fourth directions perpendicular to the cutting base.

Claims

1. A device for separating medication packages from a strip of medication packages, comprising: a cutting base, along which, the strip of medication packages is to be moved; conveying means, selected from one or more conveyor rollers, one or more conveyor belts or combination of conveyor rollers and conveyor belts, to move the strip of medication packages along the cutting base, a circular cutting blade arranged perpendicularly against the cutting base; and an actuator connected to the circular cutting blade and configured to move the circular cutting blade in opposite first and second directions, wherein the actuator is connected to the circular cutting blade with a spring suspension allowing the circular cutting blade to move in opposite third and fourth directions perpendicular to the cutting base, wherein the device comprises means for measuring an electrical signal indicative of a force applied to the circular cutting blade and the actuator is configured to control a speed of the circular cutting blade based on the measured electrical signal, and wherein the circular cutting blade is configured to make two subsequent cuts: first an opening on an edge of the medication package and then to separate the package from the strip upon the conveying means moving the strip first to an opening position and then to a separation position.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a conveyor belt to which the spring suspension is connected, and a DC motor configured to drive the conveyor belt.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a camera for monitoring the circular cutting blade and the strip of medication packages.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the actuator is configured to control a position of the circular cutting blade based on image data received from the camera.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a sensor for detecting conveyance of the medication package away from the cutting base.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to stop movement of the circular cutting blade when the measured electrical signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical signal is current consumed by the DC motor.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a circular perforation blade arranged side by side with the circular cutting blade.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting base is arranged to receive a plurality of strips of medication packages arranged next to each other.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a sensor for detecting whether the circular cutting blade is located at a certain position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A illustrates a front view of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention,

(2) FIG. 1B illustrates a side view of the device according to FIG. 1A,

(3) FIG. 2A illustrates a front view of a device according to a second embodiment of the invention, and

(4) FIG. 2B illustrates a side view of the device according to FIG. 2A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) The invention is now described with reference to the figures. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a front view and a side view of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention, respectively. The device is used for separating medication packages 101 from a medication strip 102.

(6) The device comprises a cutting base 103 along which the medication strip 102 is moved and a circular cutting blade 104 for cutting the medication strip 102 between two successive medication packages 101. The circular cutting blade 104 is arranged perpendicularly against the cutting base 103. The device comprises an actuator 105 for moving the circular cutting blade 104 in opposite first and second directions, which are perpendicular to the moving direction of the medication strip 102.

(7) The actuator 105 is connected to the circular cutting blade 104 with a spring suspension 106 that allows the circular cutting blade 104 to move in opposite third and fourth directions, which are perpendicular to the cutting base 103. The third and fourth directions are perpendicular to the directions in which the circular cutting blade 104 is moved, i.e. to the first and second directions. The spring suspension 106 presses the cutting edge of the circular cutting blade 104 against the surface of the cutting base 103. When the circular cutting blade 104 is moved with the actuator 105 over the medication strip 102, the spring suspension 106 ensures that the medication strip 102 can be cut properly.

(8) The spring suspension 106 comprises a frame 107 and a bearing 108 on which the circular cutting blade 104 is mounted. The bearing 108 allows the circular cutting blade 104 to rotate against the cutting base 103 when the circular cutting blade 104 is moved with the actuator 105. The bearing 108 is connected to the frame 107 in a movable manner so that the circular cutting blade 104 can move with respect to the frame 107 in the third and fourth directions. The spring suspension 106 comprises two coil springs 109 each of which suspends one end of the bearing 108 to the frame 107. The coil springs 109 press the circular cutting blade 104 against the cutting base 103, while at the same time the coil springs 109 allow the circular cutting blade 104 to move away from the cutting base 103 when the circular cutting blade 104 is moved over the medication strip 102.

(9) The actuator 105 comprises a conveyor belt 110 and a DC motor 111 for driving the conveyor belt 110. The conveyor belt 110 is arranged around two reels 112, and the DC motor 111 is connected to one of the reels 112 to rotate the reel 112 and thereby to drive the conveyor belt 110. The conveyor belt 110 can be moved in different directions by changing the direction of rotation of the DC motor 111. The frame 107 of the spring suspension 106 is connected to the conveyor belt 110. Thus the circular cutting blade 104 can be moved in the first or the second direction depending on which direction the DC motor 111 is rotated. The operation of the DC motor 111 is controlled with a control unit 113.

(10) The device comprises a camera 114 for monitoring the circular cutting blade 104 and the medication strip 102. Using the camera 114 the positions of the circular cutting blade 104 and the medication strip 102 can be monitored. Based on this information it can be ensured that the medication strip 102 is at a correct position on the cutting base 103 when the circular cutting blade 104 is moved with the actuator 105 over the medication strip 102 in order to separate the medication package 101. The camera 114 is also used to monitor the shape of the medication strip 102 as well as the positions of the cutting areas and perforations between the medication packages 101. The camera 114 is also used to take images of the reason for the fault if the separated medication package 101 does not reach a sensor 115. The sensor 115 is used to detect the conveyance of the separated medication package 101 away from the cutting base 103. The separated medication package 101 is conveyed using two conveying rollers 116 between which the medication package 101 is conveyed. The operation of the camera 114, the sensor 115 and the conveying rollers 116 is controlled with the control unit 113.

(11) The device comprises a current meter 117 for measuring the current consumed by the DC motor 111, which current is indicative of a force applied to the circular cutting blade 104. Using this current information, the actuator 105 controls the movement of the circular cutting blade 104, for example, by changing the speed of the circular cutting blade 104.

(12) FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a front view and a side view of a device according to a second embodiment of the invention, respectively. The device differs from the device of FIGS. 1A and 1B in that it comprises a circular perforation blade 201 that is arranged side by side with the circular cutting blade 104. The circular perforation blade 201 is used to perforate the medication package 101 at the same time as the circular cutting blade 104 separates it from the medication strip 102. The perforation allows a patient to easily open the medication package 101 by tearing. The circular perforation blade 201 is mounted on the same bearing 108 as the circular cutting blade 104. The diameter of the circular perforation blade 201 is the same as the diameter of the circular cutting blade 104.

(13) Only advantageous exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the figures. It is clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted only to the examples presented above, but the invention may vary within the limits of the claims presented hereafter. Some possible embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims, and they are not to be considered to restrict the scope of protection of the invention as such.