Storage container for a storage and dispensing station

Abstract

A storage container for a storage and dispensing station for drugs is provided. The storage container includes a housing surrounding a holding space which housing has a guide section and a bottom surface, the guide section defining a guide space and having a vertical guide recess, which does not penetrate the housing, and the bottom surface having a dispensing opening. The storage container includes a separating device having at least one channel for holding at least one drug portion and comprises a retaining element having a retaining section and having a guide element, which is arranged in the guide recess, the vertical guide recess and the guide element interacting in such a way that the retaining element is arranged for height adjustment in the guide recess by means of the guide element and rotational motion of the retaining means is prevented.

Claims

1. A storage container comprising: a housing enclosing a holding space for drug portions, the housing comprising: a bottom surface having a dispensing opening; an outer wall defining a guide space; and a vertical guide recess disposed entirely within the outer wall; a separating device disposed in the housing and having at least one channel for receiving at least one drug portion; and a retainer comprising: a retaining section disposed completely within the guide space above the dispensing opening, the retaining section configured to prevent entry of further drug portions into a channel of the separating device aligned with the dispensing opening; a slidable guide coupled to the retaining section, the slidable guide disposed completely within the vertical guide recess; and an operating element coupled to the slidable guide, the operating element disposed outside the outer wall of the housing, wherein the slidable guide is configured to: slidably move within the vertical guide recess to vertically adjust the retaining section; and prevent rotational movement of the retainer.

2. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the slidable guide and the vertical guide recess are coupled by a dovetail connection.

3. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the slidable guide comprises a first magnet and the vertical guide recess comprises a second magnet, and wherein the first and second magnets hold the slidable guide in a position within the vertical guide recess.

4. The storage container of claim 3, wherein the second magnet is disposed within the outer wall of the housing.

5. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the slidable guide comprises first locking ridges and the vertical guide recess comprises second locking ridges, and wherein the first and second locking ridges hold the slidable guide in a position within the vertical guide recess.

6. The storage container of claim 5, wherein the second locking ridges are disposed on an inside surface of the outer wall of the housing.

7. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the guide space is circular cylindrical and the retaining section has a circular cylindrical contour adjacent a circular cylindrical contour of the outer wall.

8. The storage container of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a projecting section that projects outward from a circular cylindrical inner contour of the housing, at least a portion of the guide recess being disposed in the projecting section.

9. The storage container of claim 8, wherein the projecting section comprises a rectangular outer contour.

10. A storage container comprising: a housing enclosing a holding space for drug portions, the housing comprising: a bottom surface having a dispensing opening; an outer wall defining a guide space; and a vertical guide recess disposed within the outer wall; at least one channel for receiving at least one drug portion; and a retainer comprising: a retaining section disposed completely within the guide space above the dispensing opening, the retaining section configured to prevent entry of further drug portions into a channel aligned with the dispensing opening; a slidable guide coupled to the retaining section, the slidable guide disposed completely within the vertical guide recess; and an operating element coupled to the slidable guide, the operating element disposed outside the outer wall of the housing, wherein the slidable guide is configured to: slidably move within the vertical guide recess to vertically adjust the retaining section; and prevent rotational movement of the retainer.

11. The storage container of claim 10, wherein the vertical guide recess has a vertical guide slot disposed in the outer wall of the housing, and wherein the operating element is coupled to the slidable guide by a guide projection extending through the guide slot.

12. The storage container of claim 11, wherein the slidable guide covers the vertical guide slot.

13. The storage container of claim 11, further comprising an elastic cover disposed over the vertical guide slot.

14. The storage container of claim 13, wherein the elastic cover is configured to prevent material from escaping from the storage container during movement of the guide projection in the guide slot.

15. The storage container of claim 10, wherein the slidable guide comprises a first magnet and the vertical guide recess comprises a second magnet, and wherein the first and second magnets hold the slidable guide in a position within the vertical guide recess.

16. The storage container of claim 15, wherein the second magnet is disposed within the outer wall of the housing.

17. The storage container of claim 10, wherein the slidable guide comprises first locking ridges and the vertical guide recess comprises second locking ridges, and wherein the first and second locking ridges hold the slidable guide in a position within the vertical guide recess.

18. The storage container of claim 17, wherein the second locking ridges are disposed on an inside surface of the outer wall of the housing.

19. The storage container of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a projecting section that projects outward from a circular cylindrical inner contour of the housing, at least a portion of the guide recess being disposed in the projecting section.

Description

(1) Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the storage container according to the invention for storage and dispensing stations will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

(2) FIGS. 1a-1d show various views of a first preferred embodiment of the storage container according to the invention;

(3) FIGS. 2a-2c show various sectional views of the first embodiment of the storage container;

(4) FIG. 3 show a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment;

(5) FIGS. 4a, 4b show sectional views of a third embodiment of the storage container;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a detail view of the guide recess of the third embodiment; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a side view of the third embodiment.

(8) FIGS. 1a and 1b show two oblique views of a first preferred embodiment of the storage container 1 for a storage and dispensing station for drugs. FIG. 1c shows a top view of the storage container, and FIG. 1d shows a detail view of FIG. 1c. In all representations of the storage container, a cover which is provided in the usual operation of a storage container is omitted for a better view. The storage container according to the invention shown in FIGS. 1a-1c is part of a storage and dispensing station for drugs, wherein, as the name already makes clear, the drug portions to be separated are stored in the storage container. The storage container 1 further comprises a separating device, which is part of a separating mechanism extending over the storage container and a dispensing part, and which is described in more detail with reference to the following figures. The dispensing part can comprise, for example, a controller and a drive for the separating device.

(9) The storage container itself comprises a housing 10 enclosing a holding space 2 for drug portions (not shown), which housing comprises a guide section 11 in the middle region and a foot section 12 underneath. The guide section defines a largely circular cylindrical guide space, in which, as described below, the separating device is arranged. The guide space is said to be “largely” circular because, as will also be described in more detail below, in the guide portion a guide recess is provided which interrupts a complete circular cylinder in the interior of the guide section. The housing of the storage container further comprises a handle 13, with which the storage container 1 can be easily removed from the dispensing part of the storage and dispensing station.

(10) As can be seen in FIG. 1c, the guide space 3 or the guide section 11 of the housing is closed at the bottom by a bottom surface 14 which comprises a dispensing opening 15 and a central opening, wherein in FIG. 1c a coupling means 35 of the separating device 30 arranged in the guide space 3 (see FIG. 2a) is shown.

(11) In FIG. 1c, a retaining means is arranged in the right region of the guide section 11 of the housing, and the retaining section 41 thereof is aligned with the bottom opening 15. The retaining section closes a channel aligned with the dispensing opening 15, so that no further drug portions can penetrate into the channel aligned with the dispensing opening 15 (see also FIGS. 4a, 4b). The retaining means is mounted via a guide means 45 in a guide recess 20 in the guide section 11, wherein the design of the guide recess 20 and the guide means 45 ensures that the guide means is not radially offset upon rotation of the separating device, in other words it does not move with the separating device in the circumferential direction, but is always aligned with the dispensing opening.

(12) FIG. 1d shows in detail the exact configuration of the guide section 11 in the region of the guide recess 20 and of the guide means 45. The two aforementioned components are coupled to each other via a dovetail connection, which ensures that the guide means 45 is not displaceable radially and circumferentially, but in terms of height (i.e., axially) it is movable (i.e., a radially and circumferentially positive connection exists). To form the dovetail connection, side walls 24a, 24b defining the guide recess 20 and side walls 49a, 49b delimiting the guide means are correspondingly conical and converge inwards.

(13) FIGS. 2a-2c show various sectional views of the first embodiment of the storage container according to the invention. In FIG. 2a, it can be seen that the retaining section 41 of the retaining means is held above the projections 32 of the separating device 30. In FIGS. 2a-2c, the vertical guide recess 20 in the guide section 11 of the storage container can be seen. In the embodiment shown, the guide means 45 is held in the guide recess via a dovetail connection. The guide recess 20 itself does not penetrate the wall of the guide section 11, so escape of drug dust is thus avoided, in contrast to storage containers according to the prior art.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment. In this second embodiment, the guide means is not only adjustable in height, but also fixable in height. The height fixability is achieved via locking means 43, which are arranged on the rear wall of the guide projection 20 and cooperate with corresponding locking means (not shown) on or in the side of the guide means facing the rear wall. The height fixability can be further achieved by magnetically acting holding means 25, 42, which are arranged in the rear wall and the guide means 45. These can also be used for a coupling of the guide means in the guide projection. The magnetic holding means can thus be used for fixation in the axial, radial and circumferential direction. The two aforementioned configurations of the axial fixation are shown for purely descriptive technical reasons in a drawing or an embodiment, and, purely practically, these two types of fixation are usually probably used alternatively.

(15) FIGS. 4a, 4b and 5 show a third embodiment of the storage container according to the invention, in which the guide recess 20 has a vertical guide slot 21 through which a guide projection 46 which is formed on the guide means 45 extends. As can be seen in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the separating device 30 is designed in the shape of a rotor and comprises a plurality of channels 31 for receiving at least one drug portion. The channels 31 are formed by a plurality of projections 32, the outer periphery of which rests against the inner wall of the guide section 11. The separating device 30 has a conical surface, wherein the conicity ensures that no drug portions remain in, for example, the center of the surface of the separating device. In the illustrated embodiment, the conical surface of the singulator also includes a plurality of protrusions 36 that direct drug portions toward the outer periphery and thus toward the channels 31.

(16) Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 5, in the guide recess 20 an opening 22 is formed through which an operating element 47 can be guided during installation of the retaining means. By means of the aforementioned operating element and the guide projection 46, the retaining means 40 is secured in the guide recess parallel to the axis of rotation of the separating device.

(17) In FIGS. 4a, 4b, the alignment of the retaining means with respect to the separating device 30 and the dispensing opening 15 and the retaining means themselves are shown in detail. In FIG. 4a, a part of the housing 10 and of the guide section 11 is omitted and it can be seen that the retaining means 40, or the retaining section 41 thereof, is arranged over the dispensing opening 15 of the bottom surface, so that when a channel 31 is aligned with the dispensing opening only the drug portion(s) which is (are) arranged in the channel below the retaining section is (are) dispensed.

(18) In FIGS. 4a and 4b, the more detailed construction of the retaining means according to the third embodiment can be seen. This comprises a guide means 45, which is arranged in the vertical guide recess which is only partially visible in FIG. 4b. The guide projection 46, which extends through the guide slot 21, extends outwards in the lower section of the guide means 45. The operating element 47, which is wider than the guide slot 21 and fixes the guide means 45 fixed radially and circumferentially or in a circular manner, is arranged on the guide projection 46.

(19) Thus, in the embodiment shown, the operating element 47 also ensures a fixation of the retaining means, by “clamping” of a section of the guide section between the operating element 47 and the guide means 45. A corresponding fixation may alternatively or additionally take place by means of suitable configurations of the guide recess and of the guide means, for example by using a type of dovetail connection, as described in the first embodiment.

(20) It can also be seen in FIG. 4b that the separating device 30 comprises a coupling means 35, by means of which the separating device 30 can be coupled to a drive. In alternative embodiments, it is also conceivable that the storage container itself comprises a drive for rotating the separating device.

(21) FIG. 5 shows a detail view of the guide recess, wherein the retaining means is displaced towards the axis of rotation. The retaining section 41 of the retaining means has flattened ends 42 so that drug portions arranged in the holding space can be gently grasped from below. The guide recess 20 is arranged on the dispensing opening 15 in the bottom surface and has a rectangular shape in the embodiment shown. As already described with reference to the preceding figures, in the center the guide recess comprises a guide slot 21 which extends through the guide section 11. In the upper section of the guide recess 20, a part of the opening 22 can also be seen, through which an operating element can be guided, which facilitates the installation of the retaining means in the storage container itself. In FIG. 5, holding means 16 are indicated, via which the retaining means can be fixed coaxially at a certain “height” (with respect to the guide recess or the separating device). In the embodiment shown, the holding means 16 are designed as locking means.