IP Library Granted Patent US 12,397,941
Granted Patent B2
US 12,397,941 · App. 18/615,822 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Drug supply apparatus

Inventors: Syou Oumi (Ehime, JP); Shiyouji Shibata (Ehime, JP); Toshiaki Ueta (Tokushima, JP)
Assignee: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
B65B9/087A61J3/00B65B9/02B65B41/16B65B51/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,397,941
App. No.
18/615,822
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A drug supply apparatus of the present disclosure includes a drug supply unit configured to supply a drug to a drug delivery position; a downstream conveying unit configured to convey a strip-shaped first drug packaging paper, folded in half in advance along its longitudinal direction and configured to receive a drug at the drug delivery position; and an upstream conveying unit configured to convey a strip-shaped second drug packaging paper, folded in half in advance along its longitudinal direction. In the apparatus, the upstream conveying unit conveys the second drug packaging paper toward the first drug packaging paper in such a way that the downstream end part of the second drug packaging paper holds in its inside the upstream end part of the first drug packaging paper, and the ridge line of the second drug packaging paper overlaps the ridge line of the first drug packaging paper.

Claims (22)

1. A drug supply apparatus, comprising:

a drug supply unit configured to supply a drug to a drug delivery position;

a downstream conveying unit configured to convey a first drug packaging paper that is strip shaped and folded in half in advance along a longitudinal direction of the first drug packaging paper, wherein the first drug packaging paper is configured to receive a drug at the drug delivery position; and

an upstream conveying unit configured to convey a second drug packaging paper that is strip shaped and folded in half in advance along a longitudinal direction of the second drug packaging paper, wherein:

the downstream conveying unit includes a pair of downstream rollers,

the upstream conveying unit includes a first upstream guide member, a second upstream guide member, a first pair of rollers, a second pair of rollers, and a moving member,

the upstream conveying unit conveys the second drug packaging paper toward the first drug packaging paper in such a way that a downstream end part of the second drug packaging paper holds, in an inside of the downstream end part, an upstream end part of the first drug packaging paper, and a ridge line of the second drug packaging paper overlaps a ridge line of the first drug packaging paper.

2. The drug supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the upstream conveying unit conveys the second drug packaging paper in such a way that an opened side of the downstream end part of the second drug packaging paper approaches a ridge line side of the upstream end part of the first drug packaging paper.

3. The drug supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the second pair of rollers of the upstream conveying unit is configured to nip and convey the second drug packaging paper.

4. The drug supply apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

at least one roller of the second pair of rollers is disposed in such a way that one end part of the at least one roller is located on a downstream side of the second drug packaging paper from another end part of the at least one roller, the one end part being on an opened side of the second drug packaging paper, the other end part being on a ridge line side of the second drug packaging paper.

5. The drug supply apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

a circumferential side surface of at least one roller of the second pair of rollers is a tapered surface with a circumferential length on an opened side of the second drug packaging paper longer than a circumferential length on a ridge line side of the second drug packaging paper.

6. The drug supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a guide member configured to guide the second drug packaging paper while the guide member is sandwiched by the second drug packaging paper, wherein

the guide member has a shape allowing the guide member to guide the second drug packaging paper in such a way that as the downstream end part of the second drug packaging paper approaches the upstream end part of the first drug packaging paper, an opened side of the downstream end part of the second drug packaging paper approaches a ridge line side of the upstream end part of the first drug packaging paper.

7. The drug supply apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the guide member includes an inclined part extending in a direction substantially parallel to the ridge line of the second drug packaging paper guided by the guide member.

8. The drug supply apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the guide member is plate shaped.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069618/0382 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2024
From: OUMI, SYOU; SHIBATA, SHIYOUJI; UETA, TOSHIAKI
To: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066903/0806 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-159495 · Sep 29, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022035521 · Sep 22, 2022
Related Publication 20240228086A1 · Jul 11, 2024
References Cited (7)
US 20170301087A1 · Yuyama · 2017 [cited by examiner]
JP 59016805U · 1984 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010023999A · 2010 [cited by examiner]
JP 5577526B2 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
Machine Translation of JP-2010023999-A (Year: 2025). [cited by examiner]
International Search Report dated Nov. 22, 2022 issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2022/035521, with English translation. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report dated Apr. 14, 2025 issued in the corresponding European Patent Application No. 1 22876073.2. [cited by applicant]