JP7376811B2 - Card loading device, card loading/unloading device, and card holder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a card mounting device and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, medical facilities such as hospitals and dispensing pharmacies have adopted drug dispensing systems that store drugs and the like in predetermined trays prepared for each patient based on prescription data. The tray removably holds a rewrite card that displays information such as the name of the drug contained in the tray or the name of a patient to whom the drug is administered. The information on this rewrite card is rewritten by a display changing device that changes the information displayed on the rewrite card, for example, after the storage of the medicine in the tray is completed. Specifically, the rewrite card extracted from the tray is conveyed to a display changing device, and the display changing device rewrites the information on the rewrite card to information that conforms to the contents currently stored in the tray. The rewritten card after rewriting is returned to the original tray from the display changing device.

Patent Document 1 discloses an attaching and detaching device for attaching and detaching a rewrite card to and from a tray. Specifically, the attachment/detachment device slides the rewrite card in the attachment section into which the rewrite card is attached, and inserts the rewrite card into the attachment section through the insertion port formed on the side surface of the attachment section. Insert and remove.

Patent No. 4679168

However, although Patent Document 1 discloses that the rewrite card is inserted and removed by sliding it with respect to the mounting portion, there is no specific disclosure regarding a method for attaching and removing the rewrite card other than sliding.

Further, Patent Document 1 does not specifically disclose a method for arranging a tray including a rewritten card after rewriting in a tray storage.

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to realize a card mounting device that can accurately mount a card to a card holding portion that holds a card. Another object of the present invention is to realize a card holder in which a card can be attached and detached with high precision.

Further, an object of one embodiment of the present invention is to realize a tray conveyance device that can improve user convenience.

A card mounting device according to one aspect of the present invention is a card mounting device that mounts a flexible card into a card holder having a gap into which a part of the outer edge of the card is to be inserted while holding the flexible card. a card adsorption section that adsorbs the card from the front surface side; a bending mechanism that bends the card adsorbed by the card adsorption section; and a bending mechanism that bends the card by the bending mechanism. and an insertion operation section that inserts the outer edge section into the gap by moving it in a first direction toward the card holding section from the front side.

Further, a card holder according to one aspect of the present invention is a card holder that is provided on a side surface of a tray that accommodates a medicine and holds a flexible card, the card holder having opposing portions on an outer edge of the card holder. is provided with a pair of claw parts, and the pair of claw parts are used when the card is pulled out from the front of the card holder while being bent, or when the card is attached from the front of the card holder while being bent. The card protrudes along the direction in which the card is deformed.

Further, a tray transport device according to one aspect of the present invention is a tray transport device that transports a plurality of trays containing medicines to a tray storage for storing the plurality of trays, the tray transport device transporting the plurality of trays to a transport destination. When the first tray group and the second tray group, which are different from each other, are delivered to the tray storage, when the first tray group is delivered to the tray storage, the second tray group If a user input indicating permission for dispensing to the tray storage is accepted, after dispensing of the first tray group to the tray storage is completed, dispensing of the second tray group is subsequently started. It is equipped with a tray transport section.

According to the card mounting device according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to mount a card to the card holding portion with high precision.

Further, according to the card holder according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to attach and detach a card with high accuracy.

Further, according to the tray conveyance device according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve user convenience.

It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medicine dispensing system. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a tray. It is a figure showing an example of a rewrite card. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a tray dispensing device. It is a perspective view showing the composition of a card information change unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a position sensor included in the card attachment/detachment device. It is a figure showing the composition of a card conveyance device. FIG. 7 is a side view of the card adsorption section when storing a rewrite card in the card holder. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the card attachment/detachment device when a rewrite card is extracted from the card holder. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation in which the card removal device places the rewrite card on the card placement section. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a lifter device. It is a figure which shows the example of operation of a 2nd support part. It is a figure which shows the example of operation of the 1st support part and the 2nd support part when conveying a tray to a tray storage. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of storing trays in a tray storage. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of control by a lifter control section. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a card holder. It is a figure which shows the modification of a card holder. It is a figure which shows the modification of a card holder. It is a figure which shows the modification of a card holder. It is a figure showing the outline of another composition of a card information change unit. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a tray. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a card holder. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation when a rewrite card is attached to a card holder. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a tray. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the holder holding member is attached to the tray. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the holder holding member is attached to the tray. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a tray dispensing device. It is a figure showing an example of a tray storage. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of transporting a tray when the tray is transported to a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage. It is a figure which shows the example of conveyance of a tray when conveying a tray to the lowest third position of a tray storage. It is a figure which shows the example of conveyance of a tray when conveying a tray to the lowest stage 2nd position and lowest stage 1st position of a tray storage. It is a perspective view showing an example of a locking mechanism. It is a figure which shows the example of operation of a lock mechanism. It is a figure which shows an example of the locking mechanism of a modification. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of the locking mechanism of a modification.

[Embodiment 1]
[Drug dispensing system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a medicine dispensing system 1. As shown in FIG. The drug dispensing system 1 is a system that dispenses drugs (eg, injection drugs) based on prescription data. As shown in FIG. 1, the drug dispensing system 1 includes, for example, a tray supply device 10, a label printing device 20, various drug dispensing devices 31 to 34, an injection tablet printing device 40, a tray dispensing device 50, and a tray storage 60. (cart). Note that a tray transport mechanism 80 (see FIG. 11) that transports the tray 600 is provided at the bottom of each device.

The prescription data is input to a prescription input terminal (not shown) that can communicate with the medicine dispensing system 1, and the medicine dispensing system 1 acquires the prescription data from the prescription input terminal. The prescription input terminal is an example of a host system of the drug dispensing system 1, and is, for example, an electronic medical record system placed in a hospital or a health care facility for the elderly, or a dispensing management system placed in a pharmacy inside or outside the hospital. The prescription data may be input via the touch panel 70 included in the drug dispensing system 1.

The prescription data is also referred to as "prescription data regarding administration to one patient." Examples of prescription data regarding administration to one patient include the following (1) to (3).

(1) Data regarding drugs administered to one patient (prescription data for each patient).

(2) Data regarding one dose of drug administered to one patient (prescription data for one prescription unit).

(3) When a classification is assigned to one dose of a drug administered to one patient at the time of prescription, data regarding the classification (prescription data in units of 1 RP (recipe)).

The tray supply device 10 stores trays 600 (empty trays 600) that accommodate drugs dispensed from the drug dispensing devices 31 to 34, and supplies them to the drug dispensing devices 31 to 34 based on prescription data.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tray 600. As shown in FIG. 2, a card holder 500 (card holding section, first card holding section) that holds a flexible rewrite card RC (card) is provided on the side surface of the tray 600. The card holder 500 is provided on the tray 600 at a position facing a card attachment/detachment device 150 (adsorption device) of the card information changing unit 100, which will be described later. The card holder 500 includes a pair of claws 514a to 514d (see 16001 in FIG. 16), which will be described later, and thus has a gap into which a part of the outer edge of the card holder 500 is inserted while holding the rewrite card RC. Details of the card holder 500 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the medicine dispensing devices 31 to 34 dispenses medicine to a tray 600 for each patient based on prescription data. Examples of the drug dispensing devices 31 to 34 include a returned drug dispensing device, a fixed drug dispensing device, a special drug dispensing device, and a bottle dispensing device. The returned drug dispensing device is a device that dispenses returned drugs (returned drugs) in a ward or the like. The fixed drug dispensing device is a device that dispenses a drug (fixed drug) stored in advance by a user (eg, a medical personnel such as a doctor or a nurse). The special medicine dispensing device is a device that dispenses special medicine. The bottle dispensing device is a device that dispenses a bottle containing a liquid medicine. Special drugs include, for example, drugs that require special management, drugs used for complex diseases, or drugs that are relatively expensive. Hereinafter, the drug dispensing devices 31 to 34 will be collectively referred to as the drug dispensing device 30. The drug dispensing system 1 only needs to include at least one type of drug dispensing device 30. Further, the injection tablet printing device 40 prints the injection tablet based on the prescription data.

The tray dispensing device 50 dispenses the tray 600 containing the medicine dispensed by the medicine dispensing device 30 to the tray storage 60. Furthermore, before dispensing the tray 600 to the tray storage 60, the tray dispensing device 50 rewrites the display information of the rewrite card RC based on the prescription data after removing the tray 600 from the card holder 500. The tray dispensing device 50 returns the rewrite card RC on which the display information has been rewritten to the tray 600, and then dispenses the tray 600 to the tray storage 60. Thereby, the display contents of the rewrite card RC can be made to match the contents contained in the tray 600.

The rewrite card RC displays various information regarding the medicine contained in the tray 600. Display information on the rewrite card RC is rewritten by a display change device 250 of the card information change unit 100, which will be described later. Thereby, the rewrite card RC can perform a display in accordance with changes in the contents of the tray 600. The rewrite card RC may be any card that can change display information, such as a leuco type or a cloudy type.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a rewrite card RC. As shown in FIG. 3, the rewrite card RC contains, for example, the name of the patient to whom the medicine stored in the tray 600 is administered, the name of the ward and room number in which the patient is admitted, and the information on dispensing the medicine to the tray 600. Information such as the date is displayed. Further, in the example of FIG. 3, information indicating the medicine contained in the tray 600 is displayed in barcode format on the rewrite card RC.

Further, in the rewrite card RC of this embodiment, the corner portion RCc has a curved shape (approximately C shape). This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of attachment (insertion, delivery) to the card holder 500 or the card placement section 210 (card holding section, second card holding section) (see FIGS. 5 and 7).

The tray storage 60 stores the trays 600 dispensed by the tray dispensing device 50. The tray storage 60 is provided with m×n (m and n are both integers of 1 or more) tray storage units (storage positions) that can store a plurality of trays 600 (see FIG. 14). The tray dispensing device 50 stores the trays 600 with the tray storage 60 disposed in the insertion opening 53 (see FIG. 11) so as to face the tray dispensing device 50.

The medicine dispensing system 1 also includes a touch panel 70. The touch panel 70 displays, for example, prescription data and the operating status of the drug dispensing system 1. Furthermore, the touch panel 70 accepts various user inputs such as starting or stopping the operation of the medicine dispensing system 1 .

[Tray dispensing device]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the tray dispensing device 50. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the tray dispensing device 50 includes a card information changing unit 100, a lifter device 300, and a control device 400. Note that the control device 400 does not necessarily need to be included in the tray dispensing device 50, and may be communicably connected to the tray dispensing device 50 and the touch panel 70.

The lifter device 300 transports the tray 600 transported from the medicine dispensing device 30 from the card information change unit 100 to the tray storage 60. That is, the lifter device 300 functions as a tray transport device (discharge lifter) that transports the tray 600 to the tray storage 60. Details of the lifter device 300 will be described later.

The card information change unit 100 includes a card attachment/detachment device 150, a card transport device 200, and a display change device 250.

The card attachment/detachment device 150 attaches and detaches the rewrite card RC to/from the card holder 500 or the card placement section 210 (described later). As will be described later, the card placement section 210 is provided in the card transport device 200 at a position facing the card attachment/detachment device 150 (see FIG. 5). The card placement unit 210 functions as a placement stand for allowing the rewrite card RC extracted by the card removal device 150 to be transported between the card removal device 150 and the display changing device 250.

Note that in this embodiment, the card attachment/detachment device 150 is capable of (1) attaching the rewrite card RC to the card holder 500 or the card placement section 210, and (2) loading the rewrite card RC from the card holder 500 or the card placement section 210. It will be explained as a system that realizes both functions. In other words, the card attachment/detachment device 150 has a function realized by a card attachment device (see modification 5) described below, and is also capable of removing the rewrite card RC held in the card holder 500 or the card placement section 210. This is a possible device.

The card conveyance device 200 conveys the rewrite card RC placed on the card placement section 210 to the display changing device 250, or transfers the rewrite card RC whose display information has been rewritten by the display change device 250 to the card placement section 210. 210. Note that details of the card attachment/detachment device 150 and the card transport device 200 will be described later.

The display changing device 250 changes the display information of the rewrite card RC conveyed by the card conveying device 200. The display change device 250 is provided near the card placement section 210 of the card transport device 200.

The control device 400 centrally controls the tray dispensing device 50. The control device 400 includes a lifter control section 410, a movement control section 420, a solenoid valve control section 430, a card presence/absence determination section 440, a card conveyance control section 450, a display change control section 460, and a touch panel control section 470.

Lifter control section 410 controls lifter device 300. Card transport control section 450 controls card transport device 200 . Display change control section 460 controls display change device 250. Touch panel control section 470 controls display or input to touch panel 70 .

Furthermore, the movement control section 420 controls the movement of the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 (both described below) included in the card attachment/detachment device 150. The solenoid valve control unit 430 controls the suction of outside air via the card suction unit 151 by controlling the on/off state of the solenoid valve 172 . Card presence/absence determining section 440 determines whether a card is attached to card holder 500 or not.

Note that the details of each part of the control device 400 will be explained together with the description of each device described later.

<Card information change unit>
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the card information changing unit 100. In FIG. 5, perspective views of the card information changing unit 100 viewed from two different directions are shown with reference numerals 5001 and 5002. As shown in FIG. 5, the card information change unit 100 includes a card attachment/detachment device 150, a card transport device 200, and a display change device 250.

The card attachment/detachment device 150 includes a card adsorption section 151 , guide sections 152 and 153 (a pair of guide sections), and a support section 161 . The card attachment/detachment device 150 also includes a filter 171, a solenoid valve 172, a Z-axis motor 173 (insertion operation section), a θ-axis motor 174 (swivel section), an adsorption confirmation sensor 175, a card detection section 176, a vacuum pump (not shown), and a plurality of position sensors. The Z axis is an axis indicating the direction in which the card suction unit 151 moves towards or away from the card holder 500 (the Z axis indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5), or an axis indicating the direction towards or away from the card placement unit 210. (Z axis indicated by a broken line in FIG. 5). The θ-axis is an axis in a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the Z-axis. The plurality of position sensors will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

Of the control device 400 described above, the movement control section 420 controls the Z-axis motor 173 and the θ-axis motor 174. The solenoid valve control section 430 controls the solenoid valve 172. Further, the card presence/absence determination section 440 determines the presence or absence of the rewrite card RC in the card holder 500 based on the signal from the card detection section 176 .

The card suction unit 151 is a suction pad that suctions the rewrite card RC from its surface side. The card adsorption section 151 is a cup-shaped member made of a flexible material and having an edge that comes into contact with the rewrite card RC. In this embodiment, the card adsorption section 151 is attached to the support section 161.

The filter 171 is a filter for removing dust and the like from the air sucked by the vacuum pump. The electromagnetic valve 172 is a valve that controls suction by the vacuum pump to the space defined by the card suction unit 151 and the rewrite card RC. The card suction unit 151 is connected to a vacuum pump via a filter 171 and a solenoid valve 172.

When the solenoid valve 172 is on, the air in the space is sucked by the vacuum pump, and the rewrite card RC is sucked into the card suction section 151. On the other hand, when the solenoid valve 172 is off, the air in the space is no longer sucked by the vacuum pump, so the rewrite card RC is released from the card adsorption section 151.

The Z-axis motor 173 moves the rewrite card RC, which has been bent by a bending mechanism (described later) including the guide parts 152 and 153, in the front and back directions, thereby placing it on the card holder 500 or the card placement part 210 of the card transport device 200. Attach/detach it. In the front and back directions, (1) a first direction from the front side of the card holder 500 (or card placement section 210) toward the card holder 500 (or card placement section 210); and (2) a first direction. and a second direction that is an opposite direction. The front and back direction (first direction or second direction) includes, but is not limited to, a direction perpendicular to the surface of the rewrite card RC when it is held in the card holder 500 or the card holder 210. The direction may be inclined to the opposite direction. Hereinafter, the above-mentioned vertical direction will be used as an example of the above-mentioned front-back direction.

Specifically, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the card suction unit 151 in the vertical direction. The above-mentioned vertical direction is the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 5 and described above. That is, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the card suction unit 151 along the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the card suction section 151 attached to the support section 161 by moving the support section 161 in this direction. However, the Z-axis motor 173 may move only the card suction section 151. The Z-axis motor 173 is, for example, a stepping motor.

The Z-axis motor 173 attaches and detaches the rewrite card RC to and from the card holder 500 while bending it. Specifically, the Z-axis motor 173 guides and bends the rewrite card RC using the guide portions 152 and 153. By bending the rewrite card RC in this way and attaching it to and detaching it from the card holder 500, it can be smoothly attached to and detached from the card holder 500. Additionally, compared to a configuration in which the rewrite card RC is attached and detached by sliding it in a direction parallel to the surface of the rewrite card RC using a roller or the like, there is also a problem that the rewrite card RC gets jammed during the process of attaching and detaching the rewrite card RC. can be avoided.

When adsorbing the rewrite card RC, the movement control section 420 causes the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 to approach the card holder 500 along the first direction using the Z-axis motor 173. As a result, the rewrite card RC held in the card holder 500 is sucked by the card suction section 151. Further, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the card suction section 151 in the second direction relative to the guide sections 152 and 153 while the card suction section 151 is suctioning the rewrite card RC. For example, the Z-axis motor 173 pulls the card adsorption section 151 into the card removal device 150 further than the guide sections 152 and 153 that are in contact with the rewrite card RC. Thereby, when the rewrite card RC is removed from the card holder 500, the adsorbed rewrite card RC can be bent.

When pushing (installing) the rewrite card RC into the card holder 500, the movement control section 420 moves the card suction section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 along the first direction into the card holder 500 using the Z-axis motor 173. I'm getting closer to it. As a result, the rewrite card RC held in a bent state by the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 is pushed into the card holder 500. Therefore, the card attachment/detachment device 150 can attach the rewrite card RC held in the bent state to the card holder 500 in the bent state.

The θ-axis motor 174 rotates the card suction portion 151 and the guide portions 152 and 153 so that the card suction portion 151 and the guide portions 152 and 153 face the card placement portion 210 provided in the card holder 500 and the card transport device 200, respectively. 152 and 153 are rotated. In this embodiment, the θ-axis motor 174 rotates the card suction unit 151 and the guide units 152 and 153 by rotating the support unit 161 around an axis parallel to the θ-axis shown in FIG. 5 and described above. . In this way, the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 are rotated to switch the state in which the rewrite card RC faces the card holder 500 and the state in which it faces the card placement section 210. As a result, the space of the card attachment/detachment device 150 can be reduced compared to, for example, a configuration in which the rewrite card RC is moved in parallel. The θ-axis motor 174 is, for example, a stepping motor.

In the present embodiment, the card holder 500 is located in the horizontal direction of the card detaching device 150 when the card detaching device 150 attaches and detaches the rewrite card RC. That is, the card attachment/detachment device 150 is provided at a position facing the card holder 500 at the position where the tray 600 conveyed from the medicine dispensing device 30 by the tray conveyance mechanism 80 is stopped (see 11001 in FIG. 11). Further, the card placement section 210 is located in the vertical direction of the card attachment/detachment device 150. Therefore, the rewrite card RC held in the card holder 500 arranged on the side surface of the tray 600 can be attached and detached without changing the attitude of the tray 600. In addition, the rewrite card RC pulled out from the tray 600 is inserted into the card removal device 150 at 90.
By simply turning the card, it can be moved to a position where it can be placed on the card placement section 210 (the reverse is also possible). Therefore, the space required for the card attachment/detachment device 150 can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in attaching the card information changing unit 100 can be increased.

The suction confirmation sensor 175 is an atmospheric pressure sensor that outputs a signal indicating the atmospheric pressure of the space defined by the card suction section 151 and the rewrite card RC when the card suction section 151 is in contact with the rewrite card RC. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the adsorption confirmation sensor 175 is provided between the filter 171 and the electromagnetic valve 172.

If the atmospheric pressure indicated by the output signal of the suction confirmation sensor 175 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the movement control unit 420 determines that the rewrite card RC is suctioned by the card suction unit 151. On the other hand, if the atmospheric pressure indicated by the output signal is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold, the movement control section 420 determines that the rewrite card RC is not attracted to the card attraction section 151.

The card detection unit 176 is a sensor that detects whether or not the rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500. The card detection unit 176 includes, for example, a light emitting unit that emits light to the rewrite card RC or the card holder 500, and a light receiving unit that receives light reflected by the rewrite card RC or the card holder 500.

The card detection section 176 is used by the card presence/absence determination section 440 to determine whether or not a card is present in the card holder 500 . The card presence/absence determining section 440 detects whether or not the rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500 based on the color of the light received by the light receiving section of the card detecting section 176.

Here, there is a possibility that the card holder 500 holds a rewrite card RC different from the rewrite card RC conveyed to the display changing device 250. If another rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500 and the rewrite card RC conveyed to the display changing device 250 is not returned to the card holder 500, only the other rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500. It will remain. It is highly likely that another rewrite card RC displays information on a patient different from the patient to whom the medicine dispensed into the tray 600 including the card holder 500 is to be provided. In this case, based on the display information of another rewrite card RC, the medicine dispensed onto the tray 600 will be provided to a different patient than the one to which it was originally intended, which poses a serious problem.

Therefore, while the display information of the rewrite card RC is being changed by the display changing device 250, the card presence/absence determining unit 440 determines whether or not a rewrite card RC other than the rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500. The detection operation may be performed by the card detection unit 176. Note that while the display information of the rewrite card RC is being changed, the rewrite card RC placed on the card placement unit 210 is transferred from the card placement unit 210 to the display changing device 250 by the card transport device 200. This may include the period until it is transported to. Further, the period may include a period until the rewrite card RC whose display information has been changed by the display change device 250 is conveyed from the display change device 250 to the card placement section 210 by the card conveyance device 200.

When performing the above detection operation, the movement control section 420 moves the support section 161 so that the card detection section 176 faces the card holder 500. If the other rewrite card RC is not held in the card holder 500, the card detection unit 176 does not detect the rewrite card RC. On the other hand, if the other rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500, the card detection unit 176 detects the rewrite card RC. Therefore, the card presence/absence determination unit 440 can determine whether or not an unnecessary rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500 through the detection by the card detection unit 176.

When the card presence/absence determining section 440 determines that the above-mentioned another rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500, the control device 400 stops the operation of the card information changing unit 100. Furthermore, the touch panel control unit 470 displays on the touch panel 70 that another rewrite card RC is held. On the other hand, if the card presence/absence determination unit 440 determines that the above-mentioned another rewrite card RC is not held in the card holder 500, the movement control unit 420 supports the card suction unit 151 and the like so that it faces the card placement unit 210. 161 is moved. That is, the movement control unit 420 moves the support unit 161 so that it can adsorb the rewrite card RC returned from the display changing device 250.

The guide sections 152 and 153 guide the rewrite card RC attracted by the card attraction section 151. The guide parts 152 and 153 are provided on both sides of the card adsorption part 151 in the surface direction of the rewrite card RC. By providing the guide portions 152 and 153 in this manner, the card attachment/detachment device 150 can bend the rewrite card RC using the guide portions 152 and 153 as fulcrums. In other words, the guide portions 152 and 153 function as fulcrums when bending the rewrite card RC that the card suction portion 151 has suctioned.

Each of the guide portions 152 and 153 includes rollers 154 and 155 that assist the movement of the rewrite card RC in the vertical direction by rotation. The rollers 154 and 155 have rotation axes that are parallel to each other and parallel to the surface of the rewrite card RC. By rotating the rollers 154 and 155 while each of the guide parts 152 and 153 is in contact with the rewrite card RC, the rewrite card RC can be smoothly bent.

Furthermore, each of the rollers 154 and 155 may be released from the card adsorption section 151 and may be in contact with the rewrite card RC placed on the card placement section 210. In this case, each of the rollers 154 and 155 assists the movement of the rewrite card RC in the transport direction of the rewrite card RC by the card transport device 200. By keeping the rollers 154 and 155 in contact with the rewrite card RC placed on the card placement section 210, the rollers 154 and 155 can be Its transportation can be assisted by its rotation. Therefore, it becomes possible to carry out the conveyance more smoothly.

Further, each of the guide portions 152 and 153 is provided with a shock absorbing member on at least a portion of the contact surface with the rewrite card RC to alleviate the impact when the rewrite card RC comes into contact with the guide portions 152 and 153. In this embodiment, each of the guide portions 152 and 153 includes O-rings 156 and 157 as shock absorbing members. When each of the guide portions 152 and 153 contacts the rewrite card RC, the guide portions 152 and 153 contact each other through O-rings 156 and 157. Therefore, the impact noise when the guide parts 152 and 153 come into contact with the rewrite card RC is suppressed, and the load on the rewrite card RC and the guide parts 152 and 153 is reduced. Note that the shape of the impact-reducing member is not limited to one provided only in a portion of the guide portions 152 and 153 like the O-rings 156 and 157, and may cover the entire guide portions 152 and 153.

The support portion 161 is a member that supports the card suction portion 151 and the guide portions 152 and 153 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, the support portion 161 includes support shafts 162 and 163 that support the guide portions 152 and 153, respectively. The support shafts 162 and 163 extend in the vertical direction from the support portion 161 toward the rewrite card RC. The support shafts 162 and 163 support the guide parts 152 and 153 so that the guide parts 152 and 153 can move independently of each other with respect to the support part 161 along the vertical direction.

As described above, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the card suction section 151 by moving the support section 161. Therefore, the Z-axis motor 173 also moves the guide sections 152 and 153 in the vertical direction together with the card suction section 151. According to this configuration, the movement control unit 420 only needs to control the Z-axis motor 173, so that processing can be simplified, for example, compared to a configuration that separately includes a motor for moving the guide units 152 and 153.

The support shafts 162 and 163 are provided with springs 164 and 165 (expandable members) that expand and contract as the guide portions 152 and 153 move, respectively. Thereby, the rewrite card RC can be biased in the opposite direction to the attraction force by the card attraction section 151. Further, as described above, since the support shafts 162 and 163 move independently of each other, the springs 164 and 165 expand and contract independently of each other. Therefore, even if the guide parts 152 and 153 have different distances to the card holder 500 or the card placement part 210, the guide parts 152 and 153 can be moved by the Z-axis motor 173. 153 can be brought into contact with the rewrite card RC.

Guide portions 152 and 153 are supported at positions farther from support portion 161 than card suction portion 151 when springs 164 and 165 are at their natural lengths. Therefore, when the support section 161 moves toward the rewrite card RC (that is, in the first direction), the guide sections 152 and 153 come into contact with the rewrite card RC before the card suction section 151 does. When the card suction section 151 further moves toward the rewrite card RC with the guide sections 152 and 153 in contact with the rewrite card RC, the springs 164 and 165 are compressed, and the card suction section 151 comes into contact with the rewrite card RC. . On the other hand, when the support section 161 moves in the second direction with the card suction section 151 suctioning the rewrite card RC, the card suction section 151 moves together with the support section 161 . On the other hand, even if the support part 161 moves in the second direction, the guide parts 152 and 153 hold the card holder 500 or the card placement part until the compressed springs 164 and 165 return to their natural length (original state). 210 does not move. As a result, the card suction portion 151 is retracted from the guide portions 152 and 153, so that the card attachment/detachment device 150 can bend the rewrite card RC that has been suctioned. Further, the rewrite card RC can be held in this state.

As described above, at least the guide sections 152 and 153, the support section 161, the spindles 162 and 163, and the springs 164 and 165 function as a deflection mechanism that deflects the rewrite card RC attracted by the card attraction section 151. For example, by bending the rewrite card RC, these members position the outer edge of the rewrite card RC near the entrance of the above-mentioned gap.

As described above, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the bent rewrite card RC in the first direction by moving the support portion 161, and as a result, the outer edge portion is inserted into the gap. do. Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the bent rewrite card RC in the second direction by moving the support portion 161, and as a result, the outer edge portion Remove it from the gap above. That is, the Z-axis motor 173 of this embodiment has both a card insertion function of inserting the outer edge into the gap and a card extraction function of pulling out the outer edge from the gap.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a position sensor included in the card attachment/detachment device 150. In FIG. 6, members that support the position sensor are omitted as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 6, the card removal device 150 includes a first Z-axis limit sensor 181, a second Z-axis limit sensor 182, a first θ-axis limit sensor 183, and a second θ-axis limit sensor 184. These position sensors may be placed at any position as long as the position of the card suction unit 151 can be detected. In the following description, regarding the Z-axis direction, the direction toward the card holder 500 or the card placement section 210 during the attachment/detachment operation of the rewrite card RC is defined as positive. Further, regarding the θ-axis direction, the turning direction from the direction of the card holder 500 to the direction of the card placement section 210 is defined as positive.

The first Z-axis limit sensor 181 is a sensor that outputs a signal to the movement control unit 420 when the card suction unit 151 reaches the upper limit of the movement range in the Z-axis direction. When the signal from the first Z-axis limit sensor 181 is input, the movement control section 420 stops the movement of the card suction section 151 in the positive direction in the Z-axis direction.

The second Z-axis limit sensor 182 is a sensor that outputs a signal to the movement control unit 420 when the card suction unit 151 reaches the lower limit of the movement range in the Z-axis direction. When the signal from the second Z-axis limit sensor 182 is input, the movement control section 420 stops the movement of the card suction section 151 in the negative direction in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, at the start of the operation of the card attachment/detachment device 150, the card suction unit 151 moves in the negative direction in the Z-axis direction until the second Z-axis limit sensor 182 outputs a signal. Move to the standby position using the position as a reference.

The first θ-axis limit sensor 183 is a sensor that outputs a signal when the card suction unit 151 reaches the upper limit of the rotation range in the θ-axis direction. When the first θ-axis limit sensor 183 outputs a signal, the card suction unit 151 stops turning in the direction from the direction facing the card holder 500 to the direction facing the card placement unit 210.

The second θ-axis limit sensor 184 is a sensor that outputs a signal when the card suction unit 151 reaches the lower limit of the movement range in the θ-axis direction. When the second θ-axis limit sensor 184 outputs a signal, the card suction unit 151 stops turning from the direction facing the card placement unit 210 to the direction facing the card holder 500. Furthermore, at the start of the operation of the card attachment/detachment device 150, the card suction unit 151 rotates until the second θ-axis limit sensor 184 outputs a signal, and moves to the standby position based on the position where the second θ-axis limit sensor 184 outputs the signal. Turn to.

The standby position is a position that serves as a reference for movement of the card suction unit 151 and the like. The movement control unit 420 controls the position of the card suction unit 151 and the like using a Z-axis motor 173 and a θ-axis motor 174, which are stepping motors, with the standby position as a reference. However, if the card suction unit 151 or the like moves to an unintended position due to a malfunction, the first Z-axis limit sensor 181, second Z-axis limit sensor 182, first θ-axis limit sensor 183, or second θ-axis limit sensor 184 may The card suction unit 151 and the like are detected and their movement is stopped.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the card transport device 200. As shown in FIG. 7, the card transport device 200 includes a card placement section 210, a conveyor 220, a first sensor 230, and a second sensor 240.

The card placement unit 210 is a placement stand on which the rewrite card RC is placed. The card placement unit 210 includes an opening 211 that allows the rewrite card RC to be attached and removed, a bottom 212 on which the rewrite card RC is placed, and a side wall 213 that is connected to the bottom 212 and forms the opening 211. Be prepared.

In this embodiment, the side wall 213 stands substantially perpendicular to the bottom 212, and at least a portion of the side wall 213 is inclined with respect to the direction of conveyance by the conveyor 220. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the side wall 214, which is a part of the side wall 213, is inclined with respect to the conveying direction when the card placement section 210 is viewed from above, and the side wall 214, which is a part of the side wall 213, is inclined with respect to the conveyance direction. The corner portion is provided so as to have a substantially curved shape (substantially C shape). In other words, in the side wall 214, the width of the opening 211 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction becomes shorter in the short side region where the first sensor 230 and the second sensor 240 are provided. As shown in FIG. The predetermined direction here is the direction in which the rewrite card RC extends when the rewrite card RC is inserted while being bent.

In other words, the side wall 213 and the side wall 214 define a region where the rewrite card RC is mounted (that is, the opening 211 when viewed from above). The corner portion (i.e., the side wall 214) of the opening 211 has a width in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction that is shortened at the end of the opening 211 when the card placement portion 210 is viewed from above. It is formed to do so. The predetermined direction here is the direction in which the rewrite card RC extends when it is mounted from the front of the card placement section 210 while being bent. In this example, the ends of the opening 211 are areas on the two short sides of the card placement section 210.

By providing the side wall 214 as described above, when the rewrite card RC that is attracted to the card adsorption section 151 is delivered to the card placement section 210, the position of the rewrite card RC can be prevented from being slightly deviated from the opening section 211. However, in the process of placing the rewrite card RC on the card placement section 210, it is guided by the side wall 214 and placed in the correct position. In other words, the side wall 214 has the same function as a card guide section 515 (see FIG. 16), which will be described later. Note that the side wall 214 may not stand up substantially perpendicularly to the bottom portion 212, but may be inclined toward the bottom portion 212 from its upper portion (opening portion 211).

Guidance of the rewrite card RC by the side wall 214 will be described in more detail below. In the following description, a portion of the side wall forming the opening 211 other than the side wall 214 (that is, a side wall that is not inclined with respect to the conveyance direction by the conveyor 220) is referred to as a side wall 213.

The length of the opening 211 in the height direction (direction corresponding to the short side of the rewrite card RC) is longer than the length of the rewrite card RC in the short side direction. Therefore, when the rewrite card RC is placed at the correct position on the bottom 212 by the card adsorption section 151, the rewrite card RC does not come into contact with the side walls 213 and 214.

If the mounting position of the rewrite card RC by the card suction unit 151 is shifted from the correct position in the bottom part 212 in the height direction of the opening part 211, the corner part RCc of the rewrite card RC in the bent state (arc-shaped ) contacts the side wall 213 first. Thereafter, as the rewrite card RC approaches the bottom 212, the short side of the rewrite card RC comes into contact with the bottom 212 while the corner RCc is guided by the side wall 213. Further thereafter, in the process of returning the rewrite card RC from the bent state to its original state, the corner portion RCc is further guided by the side wall 214, so that the rewrite card RC is guided to the correct position on the bottom portion 212. Note that if the deviation of the placement position of the rewrite card RC by the card suction unit 151 from the correct position on the bottom portion 212 is relatively small, the corner portion RCc of the rewrite card RC in the bent state will not be attached to the side wall 213. It does not touch, only the side wall 214.

Note that if the deviation from the correct position is so large that the bent corner RCc of the rewrite card RC does not contact the side wall 213, the rewrite card RC cannot be guided by the side walls 213 and 214. Further, even if the rewrite card RC deviates from the correct position in the left-right direction (the direction corresponding to the long side of the rewrite card RC), the rewrite card RC cannot be guided by the side walls 213 and 214.

The conveyor 220 conveys the rewrite card RC placed on the card placement section 210 to the display changing device 250. Further, the conveyor 220 conveys the rewrite card RC whose display information has been rewritten by the display change device 250 to the card placement section 210. Conveyor 220 is controlled by card conveyance control section 450 of control device 400.

The first sensor 230 and the second sensor 240 are sensors that detect the rewrite card RC that is present directly above them. The first sensor 230 is provided on the side of the display changing device 250 with respect to the card placement section 210. The second sensor 240 is provided on the opposite side of the card placement section 210 from the display changing device 250. The second sensor 240 includes a light emitting section and a light receiving section that are provided to sandwich the end of the rewrite card RC placed on the card placement section 210. Due to the light emitting section and the light receiving section, the card mounting section 210 has a gap into which a part of the outer edge of the rewrite card RC is inserted while holding the rewrite card RC.

The first sensor 230 is used by the card transport control unit 450 to confirm that the rewrite card RC has been appropriately transported from the card placement unit 210 to the display changing device 250. When the rewrite card RC is conveyed from the card placement section 210 to the display changing device 250 by the conveyor 220, the detection signal by the first sensor 230 varies from a signal indicating that the rewrite card RC is detected to a signal indicating that the rewrite card RC is not detected. The signal changes to indicate. When the signal changes in this way, the card conveyance control unit 450 confirms that the rewrite card RC has been appropriately conveyed from the card placement unit 210 to the display changing device 250.

The second sensor 240 is used by the card transport control unit 450 to confirm that the rewrite card RC has been appropriately transported from the display change device 250 to the card placement unit 210. When transporting the rewrite card RC from the display changing device 250 to the card placement section 210, the detection signal by the second sensor 240 changes from a signal indicating that the rewrite card RC is not detected to a signal indicating that the rewrite card RC is detected. Changes to When the signal changes in this way, the card transport control unit 450 confirms that the rewrite card RC has been appropriately transported from the display changing device 250 to the card placement unit 210.

The solenoid valve control unit 430 turns on the solenoid valve 172 after the card conveyance control unit 450 confirms that the rewrite card RC has been appropriately conveyed from the display change device 250 to the card placement unit 210. This reduces the possibility that the rewrite card RC being transported will be erroneously adsorbed by the card adsorption section 151.

Note that the card transport device 200 does not need to include one or both of the first sensor 230 and the second sensor 240. In this case, the card transport control unit 450 checks whether or not the rewrite card RC is present on the card placement unit 210 using, for example, the card detection unit 176 of the card attachment/detachment device 150.

Further, an exhaust path of a vacuum pump for sucking the rewrite card RC by the card suction unit 151 may be connected to the display changing device 250. In this case, dust within the display changing device 250 can be removed by exhausting the vacuum pump.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the card adsorption section 151 when the rewrite card RC is stored in the card holder 500. In FIG. 8, the rewrite card RC is guided by guide portions 152 and 153 and is in a bent state. However, for simplicity, guide portions 152 and 153 are omitted in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, the card suction portion 151 has a bellows portion 158 having a bellows shape. Therefore, the card adsorption section 151 can be displaced in a direction perpendicular to the rewrite card RC. Therefore, when the rewrite card RC is displaced by the corner portion RCc of the rewrite card RC being guided by the card guide section 515 (see 16001 in FIG. 16), there is a risk that the rewrite card RC will come off the card adsorption section 151. reduced.

<Example of operation of card information change unit>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the card removal device 150 when removing the rewrite card RC from the card holder 500. With reference to FIG. 9, an example of the operation of the card removal device 150 when removing a card from the card holder 500 will be described.

In the operation example shown in FIG. 9, first, the movement control section 420 moves the card suction section 151 to the initial position. The initial position is a position where the second Z-axis limit sensor 182 and the second θ-axis limit sensor 184 detect the card suction section 151. Next, as shown at 9001 in FIG. 9, the movement control unit 420 moves the card suction unit 151 from the initial position to a standby position separated by a predetermined distance in the Z-axis direction. In this state, the solenoid valve control section 430 turns on the solenoid valve 172.

Next, when the movement control section 420 moves the card suction section 151 toward the rewrite card RC, the guide sections 152 and 153 first come into contact with the rewrite card RC, as shown at 9002 in FIG. When the movement control section 420 further moves the card suction section 151, the springs 164 and 165 are compressed, and the card suction section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 come into contact with the rewrite card RC, as shown at 9003 in FIG. At this time, the rewrite card RC is sucked into the card suction section 151.

After confirming suction of the rewrite card RC by the suction confirmation sensor 175, the movement control unit 420 moves the card suction unit 151 in the direction away from the card holder 500, as shown at 9004 in FIG. At this time, the guide parts 152 and 153 remain in contact with the rewrite card RC due to the elastic force of the springs 164 and 165, so that the rewrite card RC is guided by the guide parts 152 and 153 and becomes bent.

When the movement control unit 420 further moves the card suction unit 151 in the direction away from the card holder 500, the rewrite card RC is pulled out from the card holder 500, as shown at 9005 in FIG. Thereafter, as shown at 9006 in FIG. 9, the movement control unit 420 rotates the card attachment/detachment device 150 by 90 degrees. As a result, the card attachment/detachment device 150 is in a state facing the card placement section 210 of the card transport device 200.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation in which the card removal/removal device 150 places the rewrite card RC on the card placement section 210. Immediately after the card attachment/detachment device 150 rotates, the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 are separated from the card placement section 210, as shown at 10001 in FIG. When the movement control unit 420 moves the card adsorption unit 151 toward the card placement unit 210, as shown at 10002 in FIG. come into contact with. When the movement control unit 420 further moves the card suction unit 151, the card suction unit 151 also comes into contact with the card placement unit 210 via the rewrite card RC, as shown at 10003 in FIG. At this time, the rewrite card RC is in an unflexed state.

When the solenoid valve control section 430 turns off the solenoid valve 172 in this state, the rewrite card RC is released from the card adsorption section 151, as shown at 10004 in FIG. When the movement control section 420 moves the card suction section 151 in the direction away from the card placement section 210, the card suction section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 move away from the rewrite card RC, as shown at 10005 in FIG. In this state, the card transport device 200 transports the rewrite card RC to the display changing device 250, and the display changing device 250 changes the display of the rewrite card RC.

However, in the case of mounting the rewrite card RC on the card placement section 210, the operation 10005 in FIG. 10 may be omitted. Specifically, as shown at 10004 in FIG. In this state, the card transport device 200 may transport the rewrite card RC to the display changing device 250. That is, after the movement control unit 420 has installed the rewrite card RC on the card placement unit 210, the guide units 152 and 153 are in contact with the rewrite card RC, and the card suction unit 151 is separated from the rewrite card RC. The support portion 161 is moved as shown in FIG. In this case, it becomes possible to more smoothly transport the rewrite card RC from the card placement section 210 to the display changing device 250.

While the display changing device 250 changes the display of the rewrite card RC, the card presence/absence determination unit 440 determines whether another rewrite card RC different from the extracted rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500, as described above. A detection operation may be performed to determine whether or not the vehicle is present. When performing the detection operation, the movement control unit 420 once rotates the card attachment/detachment device 150 and returns it to a position facing the card holder 500.

After the above detection operation, if the card presence/absence determination section 440 determines that another rewrite card RC is not held in the card holder 500, the movement control section 420 rotates the card attachment/detachment device 150 and Return to the state of 10005 of 10. However, as described above, when the rewrite card RC is being conveyed from the card placement section 210 to the display changing device 250 in the state 10004 in FIG. It may be rotated to return to the state 10004 in FIG. 10. In this case, the rotation of the rollers 154 and 155 can assist in transporting the rewrite card RC from the display changing device 250 to the card placement section 210. Therefore, the conveyance can also be carried out more smoothly.

Note that the operation of the card removal/removal device 150 to remove the rewrite card RC from the card placement section 210 is the same as the operation of removing the rewrite card RC from the card holder 500 described with reference to FIG. 9, so a description thereof will be omitted. do. Furthermore, the procedure for the card removal device 150 to attach the rewrite card RC to the card holder 500 is the same as the operation for placing the rewrite card RC on the card placement section 210 described with reference to FIG. omitted.

<Modification 1>
Note that an identifier may be attached to the rewrite card RC. In this case, the display change control unit 460 manages the number of times the display of the rewrite card RC is changed using the identifier, and may preset the number of times the display is changed at which the rewrite card RC is considered to deteriorate.

When the number of times the display of the rewrite card RC has been changed reaches a preset number of times, the display change control unit 460 discards the rewrite card RC transported to the display change device 250 without changing its display. Then, the display of the spare rewrite card RC stored in the display changing device 250 in advance is changed.

Further, a spare rewrite card RC may be held in the card holder 500 in advance. In this case, when the number of changes in the display of the rewrite card RC reaches a preset number of changes, the card removal device 150 removes the old rewrite card RC from the card holder 500 and discards it. Thereafter, the card removal device 150 further extracts the rewrite card RC from the card holder 500 and places it on the card placement section 210.

In this case, in principle, even when the rewrite card RC is removed from the card holder 500, the spare rewrite card RC is held in the card holder 500. Therefore, the card presence/absence determining unit 440 does not perform the operation of detecting whether or not another rewrite card RC mentioned above is held in the card holder 500.

<Modification 2>
Note that the card attachment/detachment device 150 does not necessarily need to include a vacuum pump. The card attachment/detachment device 150 may include a suction cup as the card suction section 151, and may control the inflow of air into the card suction section 151 using a solenoid valve 172. When adsorbing the rewrite card RC, the rewrite card RC is adsorbed by the card adsorption section 151 by pressing the card adsorption section 151 against the rewrite card RC with the solenoid valve 172 turned off. When releasing the rewrite card RC, by turning on the solenoid valve 172, air flows into the card adsorption section 151, and the rewrite card RC is released from the card adsorption section 151. However, if the card suction unit 151 is a suction cup, there is a possibility that the rewrite card RC cannot be reliably suctioned. From the viewpoint of reliably sucking the rewrite card RC, as described above, it is preferable to suck the air inside the card suction section 151 using a vacuum pump. In this case, since suction can be confirmed by the suction confirmation sensor 175, the rewrite card RC can be reliably suctioned.

<Modification 3>
FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically showing another configuration of the card information changing unit 100. In the configuration shown in FIG. 20, the card attachment/detachment device 150 moves between two points: a position where the rewrite card RC is attached/detached to/from the card holder 500, and a card transport device 200 (placement stand) disposed near the said position. do. The card transport device 200 (card placement section 210) is not located in the vertical direction of the card attachment/detachment device 150. For example, the card removal device 150 extracts the rewrite card RC from the card holder 500 and then moves it in parallel and conveys it to the card transport device 200.

The card removal device 150 is connected to a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the card removal device 150 between the two points. Further, since the card suction unit 151 and the like are not rotated by the θ-axis motor 174, the card attachment/detachment device 150 does not include the θ-axis motor 174.

In this way, the card information changing unit 100 according to this embodiment may have the configuration shown in FIG. 20. However, considering the miniaturization and mounting flexibility of the card information changing unit 100, the card placement section 210 is located in the vertical direction of the card attachment/detachment device 150, as described above, and the card adsorption section 151 etc. are moved by the θ-axis motor 174. It is preferable to rotate.

<Modification 4>
The card removal device 150 bends the rewrite card RC sucked by the card suction unit 151 using a bending mechanism including guide portions 152 and 153, and moves the bent rewrite card RC in the vertical direction using the Z-axis motor 173. It was explained as moving to. In other words, the card attachment/detachment device 150 connects the card attachment mechanism that executes the operation of attaching the rewrite card RC, the card extraction mechanism that executes the operation of extracting the rewrite card RC, the card suction section 151, the bending mechanism, and the Z-axis motor 173. It was explained that it is realized by a common mechanism including. However, the card attachment/detachment device 150 may include a card attachment mechanism and a card extraction mechanism as different mechanisms.

For example, the card mounting mechanism is realized by the above-mentioned card suction section 151, bending mechanism, Z-axis motor 173, etc., while the card extraction mechanism is realized by the above-mentioned card suction section 151, bending mechanism, Z-axis motor 173, etc. It may be realized by a mechanism different from the above. In this case, the card extraction mechanism has, for example, a claw part that hooks on a part of the outer edge of the rewrite card RC, and by moving the claw part in the above-mentioned vertical direction, the rewrite card RC is hooked on the claw part and the rewrite card RC is rewritten. It does not matter if the card RC is removed.

In other words, in this case, the Z-axis motor 173 only realizes the above-mentioned card insertion function of mounting the rewrite card RC on the card holder 500 or the card placement section 210 by moving the rewrite card RC in the first direction. function as a thing.

<Modification 5>
Furthermore, the card attachment/detachment device 150 may be implemented as a card attachment device (see FIG. 2) that functions only as the above-mentioned card attachment mechanism for at least the card holder 500. That is, the card mounting device does not include the above-described card extraction mechanism at least for the card holder 500.

Specifically, the card mounting device does not perform the operation of removing the rewrite card RC from the card holder 500 as shown in FIG. 9 and the operation of mounting the rewrite card RC on the card placement section 210 as shown in FIG. 10. . The card mounting device performs an operation of extracting the rewrite card RC from the card placement section 210 (same procedure as the extracting operation shown in FIG. 9) and an operation of mounting the rewrite card RC onto the card holder 500 (the mounting operation shown in FIG. 10). (same procedure as the operation). That is, the card mounting device only needs to have the function of mounting the rewrite card RC, whose display information has been changed, transported from the display changing device 250, into the card holder 500.

In this case, for example, the card transport device 200 may function as a device that transports the rewrite card RC, the display information of which has been changed, transported from the display change device 250 to the card mounting device. Further, the display changing device 250 may include a card accommodating section (setting section for setting the rewrite card RC) (not shown) that temporarily accommodates the rewrite card RC for changing display information.

For example, the user extracts rewrite cards RC from a plurality of trays 600 (for example, 100) dispensed to the tray storage 60, and stores the extracted rewrite cards RC in the card accommodating section. When the display change control unit 460 receives a user operation to start display information change processing, the display change control unit 460 controls the display change device 250 to change the display information of the rewrite card RC stored in the card storage unit based on the prescription data. Change sequentially. The display changing device 250 delivers the rewrite card RC with changed display information to the card transport device 200.

The card transport control unit 450 controls the card transport device 200 to transport the rewrite card RC with changed display information from the display changing device 250 to the card placement unit 210. The movement control unit 420 and the electromagnetic valve control unit 430 control the card mounting device to mount the rewrite card RC placed on the card placement unit 210 and whose display information has been changed into the card holder 500.

Even with this card mounting device, the rewrite card RC that has been sucked and bent by at least the card suction section 151, the bending mechanism, and the Z-axis motor 173 can be loaded into the card holder 500 from the front side of the card holder 500.

Note that the user may remove the rewrite card RC whose display information has been changed from the display changing device 250 and then attach it to the card mounting device. In this case, the card information changing unit 100 does not need to include the card transport device 200. For example, in the card mounting device, the attached rewrite card RC is sucked by the card suction section 151 and is also bent by the bending mechanism. In this state, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the support portion 161 to the card holder 500 from the front side thereof, so that the card mounting device mounts the rewrite card RC to the card holder 500. In other words, in this case, it can be said that the card mounting device does not include the above-mentioned card extraction mechanism for the card placement section 210 as well.

Furthermore, the card mounting device may be a device for mounting the rewrite card RC onto the card placement section 210. In this case, for example, the user pulls out the rewrite card RC from the card holder 500 and attaches it to the card mounting device. Thereafter, the card mounting device mounts the rewrite card RC onto the card placement section 210 while adsorbing and bending the card. After the rewrite card RC is transported to the display changing device 250 by the card transporting device 200, the display information thereof is changed by the display changing device 250. Thereafter, the rewrite card RC is transported by the card transport device 200 to the card placement section 210, and the card installation device removes the rewrite card RC from the card placement section 210 and then installs it into the card holder 500. Note that the user may take out the rewrite card RC from the display changing device 250 (or the card placement section 210) and attach it to the card mounting device.

<Lifter device>
Next, a configuration example of the lifter device 300 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the lifter device 300.

As shown at 11001 in FIG. 11, the lifter device 300 is provided inside a casing 51 that defines an insertion opening 53 into which the tray storage 60 is inserted. The lifter device 300 transports the tray 600, on which the display information of the rewrite card RC has been rewritten by the card information changing unit 100, from the tray transport mechanism 80 to the tray storage 60 disposed in the insertion slot 53.

As shown at 11002 in FIG. 11, the lifter device 300 includes a tray conveyance section 301. The tray transport unit 301 transports the tray 600 on the tray transport mechanism 80, which has been transported from the drug dispensing device 30 and the display information of the rewrite card RC has been rewritten, to the tray storage 60. The tray transport section 301 mainly includes a support 303, a beam section 305, and a tray support section 307.

The support column 303 supports a beam portion 305 extending in the x-axis direction so as to be slidable in the z-axis direction. The beam portion 305 supports a tray support portion 307 capable of supporting the tray 600 so as to be slidable in the extending direction of the beam portion 305 (x-axis direction). This configuration allows the tray support section 307 to be moved within the xz plane (vertical plane). As a result, the tray transport unit 301 can transport the trays 600 on the tray transport mechanism 80 to each storage position of the tray storage 60.

The tray support section 307 includes a drive section 307a, a first support section 307b, a first movement section 307c, a second support section 307d, and a second movement section 307e.

The driving section 307a moves the first supporting section 307b in the y-axis direction by operating the first moving section 307c. The first moving section 307c supports the first supporting section 307b and slides the first supporting section 307b in the y-axis direction. The first support portion 307b is a claw portion that supports the short side of the tray 600. The first support portion 307b supports the short side of the tray 600 by being temporarily hooked to the hook portion 601 (see FIG. 2). The latching portion 601 is an eaves portion provided on the short side of the edge of the tray 600 and temporarily latching the first support portion 307b inserted from below the edge. Thereby, the tray 600 can be transported (pushed out) to the tray storage 60 while the first support portion 307b supports the short side of the tray 600.

Further, the driving section 307a moves the second support section 307d in the x-axis direction or the z-axis direction by operating the second moving section 307e. The second moving section 307e includes an operating section 307ea and a guide section 307eb. The operating portion 307ea is connected to the second support portion 307d, and a portion (tip portion) thereof is fitted inside a guide portion 307eb that guides the operating portion 307ea. Therefore, the second support section 307d moves along the guide section 307eb. As shown at 11002 in FIG. 11, the guide portion 307eb extends in the z-axis direction, but is bent outward below.

The second support portion 307d is a rod-shaped member that supports the long side of the tray 600. The second support portion 307d supports the long side of the tray 600 by supporting the protrusion 602 (see FIG. 2). The protruding portion 602 is an eaves portion provided on the long side of the edge of the tray 600 and supported by the second support portion 307d. Thereby, the second support portion 307d can support the long side of the tray 600. In addition, when the protrusion part 602 is conveyed to each storage position of the tray storage 60, it is supported by the rail provided in the said storage position.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the second support section 307d. As shown at 12001 to 12004 in FIG. 12, the second support portion 307d is in a standby state at four locations.

12001 in FIG. 12 indicates the initial position of the second support portion 307d. As shown at 12001 in FIG. 12, the second support section 307d is in the most open state in the x-axis direction at the position (lowest part) Po1 farthest from the drive section 307a. At position Po1, the second support section 307d waits for the card information change unit 100 to rewrite the display information of the rewrite card RC.

12002 in FIG. 12 indicates a state in which the second support portion 307d is most closed in the x-axis direction at the position (top) Po2 closest to the drive portion 307a. The second support portion 307d changes from the state 12001 to the state 12002 in FIG. It becomes possible to transport up to In other words, the state 12002 in FIG. 12 is a state in which the second support portion 307d supports the tray 600.

12003 in FIG. 12 indicates a state in which the second support portion 307d has been lowered by a predetermined distance from the state 12002 in FIG. The second support portion 307d is stopped at a position Po3 between the positions Po1 and Po2. In this state, the second support part 307d does not support the protrusion part 602 of the tray 600, and the tray 600 is connected to the first support part 307b and the rail 61 (FIG. 13) at an arbitrary storage position of the tray storage 60. This is supported by two points. The position Po3 may be any position as long as the support for the tray 600 can be released and the second support portion 307d does not interfere with the tray 600 when the tray 600 is inserted into an arbitrary storage position in the tray storage 60.

12004 in FIG. 12 shows a state in which the second support portion 307d is further lowered from the state 12003 in FIG. In this state, a part of the operating part 307ea inserted into the guide part 307eb is located at the bent part of the guide part 307eb, and the second support part 307d is at a position (height) close to the position Po1. It is stopped at position Po4. Therefore, even if the tray 600 should fall while inserting the tray 600 into an arbitrary storage position of the tray storage 60, the second support part 307d can catch the fallen tray 600. After inserting the tray 600 into the storage position, the second support portion 307d returns to the initial position shown at 12001 in FIG. 12.

In addition, in 12001 of FIG. 12, the second support part 307d is waiting in an open state at position Po1 while the display information of the rewrite card RC is being rewritten in the card information changing unit 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. do not have.

For example, the lifter control section 410 may move the second support section 307d from the open state at position Po1 to the closed state at position Po4 during the above rewriting. For example, the lifter control section 410 may move the second support section 307d from the open state to the closed state using the transfer of the rewrite card RC to the card information change unit 100 as a trigger. That is, the second support part 307d moves from the most open state to the closed state to a position where it can support the protrusion part 602 of the tray 600.

In this case, when the rewriting of the display information on the rewrite card RC is completed and the rewrite card RC is returned to the tray 600 from the card information changing unit 100, the second support section 307d supports the protrusion section 602 of the tray 600. state. Therefore, when the rewrite card RC returns to the tray 600, the time required to move from the open state at position Po1 to the closed state at position Po4 can be reduced.

<Example of operation of tray transport unit>
Next, an example of the operation of the tray transport section 301 will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the first support section 307b and the second support section 307d when conveying the tray 600 to the tray storage 60.

Conventionally, the tray conveyance unit 301 supports the tray 600 by the first support unit 307b and the second support unit 307d, and pushes the tray 600 toward the tray storage 60 in a predetermined trajectory in an inclined state. The tray 600 was inserted into each storage position of the tray storage 60. In this case, if the tray storage 60 is tilted with respect to the tray dispensing device 50, the tray transport unit 301 cannot push out the tray 600 while absorbing the tilt, and the tray 600 is Sometimes it got stuck in the tray storage 60. By inserting the tray 600 into the tray storage 60 as described below, the tray transport unit 301 of the present embodiment can suppress the occurrence of the tray 600 being caught as described above.

As shown at 13001 in FIG. 13, the lifter control unit 410 controls the tray transport unit 301 to move the tray from the tray transport mechanism 80 (see FIG. 11) to the front of a predetermined storage position of the tray storage 60. Move 600. At this time, the tray 600 is moved to a height above the rail 61 by a predetermined distance (eg, about 5 mm). This is to prevent the tray 600 from colliding with the rail 61 when inserted into the storage position. Further, the first support portion 307b is in a state of being hooked to a hook portion 601 on the short side of the tray 600 opposite to the tray storage 60. The second support portion 307d is in a state of supporting the protrusion portion 602 of the tray 600 at the position Po2, as shown at 12002 in FIG. In the state 13001 in FIG. 13, the tray 600 is in a substantially horizontal state.

Next, the lifter control unit 410 transports the tray 600 approximately horizontally from the state 13001 in FIG. 13 to the storage position. Then, as shown at 13002 in FIG. 13, the lifter control unit 410 moves the tray 600 to a position where the short side (end 600e1) facing the tray storage 60 is inserted into the storage position. The transport unit 301 is stopped.

Next, as shown at 13003 in FIG. 13, the lifter control section 410 places the end 600e1 of the tray 600 on the end 61a of the rail 61 by raising the first support section 307b. Further, as shown in 12003 in FIG. 12, the lifter control unit 410 supports the protrusion 602 of the tray 600 by the second support 307d by moving the second support 307d from the position Po2 to the position Po3. Release. Therefore, in the state 13003 in FIG. 13, the tray 600 is supported at two points, the first support portion 307b and the rail 61.

Next, the lifter control section 410 further inserts the tray 600 by moving the first support section 307b with the tray 600 tilted. At each storage position, a fall prevention claw 62 is provided near the end 61a of the rail 61 to prevent the tray 600 from falling from the storage position. As shown at 13004 in FIG. 13, the lifter control section 410 stops the first support section 307b when the tray 600 moves from the end 61a of the rail 61 to a position beyond the fall prevention claw 62.

Next, as shown at 13005 in FIG. 13, the lifter control section 410 returns the tray 600 to a substantially horizontal state by lowering the first support section 307b while supporting the tray 600. At this time, the lifter control section 410 lowers the second support section 307d from the position Po3 to the position Po4, as shown at 12004 in FIG. The lifter control unit 410 then pushes the tray 600 into the storage position.

Thereafter, the lifter control section 410 moves the first support section 307b downward and removes it from the hooking section 601 of the tray 600, so that the tray 600 is stored in the storage position.

In this way, when the tray transport unit 301 transports the tray 600 to the tray storage 60, as shown at 13003 in FIG. 13, when the end 600e1 of the tray 600 is inserted into the storage position, Lift up the end portion 600e2 opposite to the portion 600e1. As a result, the tray 600 is supported at two points: the end portion 61a of the rail 61 and the first support portion 307b. Thereafter, as shown at 13005 in FIG. 13, the tray transport unit 301 inserts the tray 600 into the tray storage 60.

In this case, since the tray 600 is inserted with support at two points, it is supported at three points, the first support part 307b and the two second support parts 307d (that is, along a predetermined trajectory). ) The degree of freedom of movement of the tray 600 is increased compared to the case where the tray 600 is inserted. Therefore, even if the tray storage 60 is tilted with respect to the tray dispensing device 50, the tray 600 can be inserted into the tray storage 60 by absorbing the tilt.

<Example of control of lifter device>
Next, a control example of the lifter device 300 will be explained. Generally, the lifter device 300 delivers the trays 600 to each of a plurality of tray storages 60 prepared for each location (eg, hospital ward) to which the trays 600 are transported. Alternatively, the lifter device 300 dispenses the trays 600 so that the trays 600 are stored in a divided state for each location in one tray storage 60. Information indicating the location to which the tray 600 (that is, the drug contained in the tray 600) is transported is managed in association with drug data indicating the drug.

Consider a case in which trays 600 that are transported to different locations are delivered to tray storage 60 in a conventional lifter device. In the conventional lifter device, after the dispensing of the tray 600 carried to an arbitrary location to the tray storage 60 is completed, an instruction to start dispensing (dispensing permission) of the tray 600 carried to a location different from the arbitrary location is issued. An image for acceptance is displayed on the touch panel 70. For example, the above arbitrary location is the A ward, and the location different from the above arbitrary location is the B ward. Further, for example, the instruction to start dispensing includes an instruction to replace the trays 600 to be stored in the tray storage 60 that is to be transported to the different location. After receiving a user input indicating an instruction to start dispensing, the conventional lifter device starts dispensing the trays 600 to be transported to the different locations to the tray storage 60.

However, in this case, in order to recognize the completion of dispensing of the tray 600 to the above-mentioned arbitrary location, the user needs to constantly monitor the dispensing status of the tray 600 being transported to the arbitrary location. Furthermore, if it is several trays before the dispensing of the trays 600 carried to the arbitrary location is completed, the user needs to wait for the dispensing of those several trays.

On the other hand, in this control example, the tray transport unit 301 performs the following processing. When trays 600 (first tray group) to be used at the above-mentioned arbitrary location are being dispensed to tray storage 60, permission to dispense trays 600 (second tray group) to be used at the above-mentioned different location to tray storage 60. Consider the case where a user input indicating . In this case, after the tray transport unit 301 completes dispensing the tray 600 to be used at the arbitrary location to the tray storage 60, it subsequently starts dispensing the tray 600 to be used at the different location.

Note that the first tray group is a tray group that includes at least one tray 600 that can be used at any of the above locations. The second tray group is a tray group including at least one tray 600 used at the different locations. Further, the above control example can be said to define a process when a plurality of trays 600 are divided into a first tray group and a second tray group whose destinations are different from each other and delivered to the tray storage 60.

Specifically, the lifter control unit 410 counts the number of trays 600 remaining to be delivered to the A ward. Lifter control unit 410 notifies touch panel control unit 470 to display an image for accepting the user input on touch panel 70 when the number of remaining payouts reaches a predetermined number (eg, 4 to 5 pieces). Touch panel control unit 470 receives the notification and causes touch panel 70 to display the image.

The lifter control unit 410 monitors whether the touch panel control unit 470 is accepting the user input before all the trays 600 to be transported to the A ward are completely discharged. If the lifter control unit 410 determines that the user input has been received before the completion of the dispensing, the lifter control unit 410 continues to transfer the trays 600 to the B ward after the dispensing of the trays 600 to the A ward to the tray storage 60 is completed. The dispensing of the tray 600 used in the process is started.

Thereby, the user can reduce the effort of constantly monitoring the dispensing status of the tray 600 or waiting for the dispensing of the tray 600, as in the conventional lifter device. Therefore, user convenience can be improved.

Further, the tray transport unit 301 may transport the tray 600 used at the different location to a position separated from the tray 600 stored in the tray storage 60 and used at the arbitrary location. In other words, if the tray conveyance unit 301 accepts the above user input during the dispensing process for the tray 600 to be conveyed to the A ward, the tray conveyance unit 301 can change the storage position of the tray storage 60 to which the tray 600 to be conveyed to the A ward has been conveyed. The tray 600 to be carried to the B ward is transported to a storage position different from the adjacent storage position. The different storage position is, for example, a storage position one storage position away from the storage position where the tray 600 to be transported to the A ward is stored last. Note that the storage position where the tray 600 carried to Ward A is stored last and the storage position where the tray 600 carried to Ward B is stored first are not one storage position, but are stored at multiple storage positions. It doesn't matter if they are separated. Moreover, the tray 600 to be carried to the B ward may be stored in a different column of the tray storage 60 from the column in which the tray 600 to be carried to the A ward was last stored.

In this case, when trays 600 that are transported to multiple locations are stored in one tray storage 60 without changing the tray storage 60, the storage positions of the trays 600 can be visually divided for each location. Therefore, the user can easily understand where the tray 600 is to be transported.

The tray transport unit 301 arranges the trays 600 in the tray storage 60 in the order of transport. 14001 to 14003 in FIG. 14 are diagrams showing an example of storing the trays 600 in the tray storage 60. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 14, the tray transport unit 301 stores the trays 600 from the top to the bottom of the storage area SAr1 according to the transport order, and when the trays 600 are stored to the bottom of the storage area SAr1, Storage is performed from the top to the bottom of area SAr2. Thereafter, when the tray conveyance unit 301 stores the trays up to the lowest stage of the storage area SAr2, the tray transport unit 301 stores the trays from the highest stage to the lowest stage of the storage area SAr3.

In 14001 of FIG. 14, it is assumed that trays 600 to be carried to ward A are stored in all of the storage area SAr1 and in the upper part of the storage area SAr2. If the tray transport unit 301 accepts the user input during the dispensing process for the tray 600 to be transported to the A ward, as shown in 14002 in FIG. Sp1) is emptied and the tray 600 (600(B) in the figure) to be carried to the B ward is transported. After that, if the tray transport unit 301 accepts the user input during the dispensing process of the tray 600 to be transported to the B ward, the tray transport unit 301 moves the tray 600 to a storage position where one tray 600 can be stored, as shown at 14003 in FIG. (Space Sp2) and transport the tray 600 (600(C) in the figure) to be transported to Ward C.

The lifter control unit 410 can also accept a user input indicating permission to dispense the tray 600 to each of the plurality of different locations during the dispensing process of the tray 600 carried to the arbitrary location. For example, during the dispensing process for the tray 600 to be carried to the A ward, it is also possible to receive a dispensing permission for the tray 600 to be carried to the C ward as well as the B ward. In this case, since the number of operations performed by the user can be reduced, user convenience can be further improved.

(Processing example)
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of control by the lifter control section 410. In this processing example, it is assumed that after completion of dispensing of the tray 600 carried to the A ward, the dispensing of the tray 600 carried to the B ward is performed.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the dispensing of the tray 600 to be carried to the A ward is completed (S1), the lifter control unit 410 determines whether or not it accepts a user input indicating permission for dispensing the tray 600 to be carried to the B ward. (S2).

If the above user input is accepted (YES in S2), the lifter control unit 410 moves the tray 600, which is to be transported to the A ward, to a storage position one space away from the last storage position, in the tray storage 60 to the B This is specified as the storage position of the first tray 600 to be transported to the ward. Then, the lifter control unit 410 controls the tray transport unit 301 to transport the first tray 600 to be transported to ward B to the specified storage position (S3).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the user input has not been received before the dispensing of the tray 600 carried to the A ward is completed (NO in S2), the lifter control unit 410 controls the dispensing of the tray 600 carried to the A ward. A notification to the effect that the process has been completed is given (S4). Specifically, the touch panel control unit 470 controls the touch panel 70 to display on the touch panel 70 an image for accepting permission to dispense the tray 600 to be transported to the B ward.

The lifter control unit 410 monitors whether the dispensing permission has been accepted through the image (S5). If it is determined that the dispensing permission has been accepted (YES in S5), the lifter control unit 410 performs the process in S3. The lifter control unit 410 performs the process in S5 until a predetermined time has elapsed (if NO in S5). If the predetermined time has elapsed without accepting the dispensing permission, the lifter control unit 410 ends the dispensing process for the tray 600.

<Example of control of other lifter devices>
The lifter device 300 stores each of the trays 600 (first tray group) to be transported to an arbitrary location and the trays 600 (second tray group) to be transported to a different location into the tray storage 60 by a method other than the above. You can pay it out. In the following, a case will be described as an example in which the tray 600 carried to the A ward is dispensed to the tray storage 60, and then the tray 600 carried to the B ward is dispensed to the tray storage 60.

(Control example 1)
After the lifter control unit 410 delivers the trays 600 to be carried to the A ward to the tray storage 60 (first tray storage), even if there is an empty space in the tray storage 60, the lifter control unit 410 delivers the trays 600 to be carried to the B ward to the tray storage 60 (first tray storage). may be dispensed to another tray storage 60 (second tray storage) different from the tray storage 60 described above. For example, if the lifter control unit 410 detects that the second tray storage has been installed, all of the trays 600 to be transported to the A ward are delivered to the first tray storage, and then the trays 600 are transported to the B ward. The dispensing of the tray 600 to the second tray storage begins.

The lifter control unit 410 may start dispensing the trays 600 to the second tray storage, for example, when permission for dispensing the trays 600 to the second tray storage is accepted by the user. Further, when the installation detection unit (not shown) detects that the tray storage 60 is installed in the insertion port 53, the lifter control unit 410 starts dispensing the tray 600 to the second tray storage. I don't mind if you do. The installation detection unit detects whether or not the tray storage 60 is installed in the insertion port 53, and is provided, for example, in the housing 51 of the tray dispensing device 50. In this case, it is possible to automatically start dispensing the tray 600 to the second tray storage without receiving permission from the user for dispensing the tray 600 to the second tray storage.

Further, when using a tray storage transport system (not shown) that automatically transports the tray storage 60 to the insertion port 53, the user does not need to install the tray storage 60 in the insertion port 53. When the tray storage conveyance system is used together with the installation detection section, the installation of the next tray storage 60 and the delivery of the tray 600 to the next tray storage 60 are automatically performed. Therefore, the user does not need to perform the above-mentioned dispensing permission or install the tray storage 60.

(Control example 2)
The lifter control unit 410 may determine whether or not there is an empty space in the tray storage 60 after delivering the tray 600 to be carried to the A ward to the tray storage 60. If the lifter control unit 410 determines that there is an empty area, it may dispense the tray 600 to be carried to Ward B into the empty area without accepting the above-mentioned dispensing permission. As described above, in the tray storage 60, the lifter control unit 410 controls the trays 600 carried to the A ward so that the trays 600 carried to the A ward can be visually distinguished from the trays 600 carried to the B ward. 600 and the tray 600 carried to the B ward may be stored separately.

(Control example 3)
If the lifter control unit 410 determines that all the trays 600 to be transported to the B ward cannot be stored in the empty area, the lifter control unit 410 may notify the user to install another tray storage 60 in the insertion slot 53. do not have. For example, the lifter control unit 410 notifies the touch panel control unit 470 to display on the touch panel 70 an image that prompts the user to install another tray storage 60 in the insertion slot 53. Touch panel control unit 470 receives the notification and causes touch panel 70 to display the image.

Here, the total number of trays 600 to be transported to each ward is stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the control device 400 based on prescription data, for example. Further, the total number of trays 600 stored in the tray storage 60 installed in the insertion port 53 is stored. As a result, every time a tray 600 is stored in the tray storage 60, the lifter control unit 410 determines the remaining number of trays 600 to be delivered and the remaining number of trays 600 stored in the tray storage 60 (the empty space of the tray storage 60). size) can be calculated.

For example, if the lifter control unit 410 determines that the remaining number of trays 600 stored in the tray storage 60 that stores the trays 600 to be carried to Ward A is less than the total number of trays 600 to be carried to Ward B, the lifter control unit 410 closes the insertion slot. 53 to install another tray storage 60. In other words, if the lifter control unit 410 determines that although there is an empty area in the tray storage 60, it is not possible to deliver (accommodate) all the trays 600 to be carried to the B ward into the tray storage 60, The user is notified to install another tray storage 60 in the insertion slot 53. In this case, even if there is an empty space in the tray storage 60, the tray 600 to be carried to the B ward can be delivered to another tray storage 60.

In this case, for example, when the above-mentioned dispensing permission is received, or when the above-mentioned installation detection section detects the installation of another tray storage 60, the lifter control section 410 controls whether the tray 600 to be transported to the B ward is It is also possible to start dispensing to the tray storage 60.

In addition, for example, when the lifter control unit 410 determines that the remaining number of trays 600 stored in the tray storage 60 that stores the trays 600 to be transported to the A ward is less than the total number of trays 600 to be transported to the B ward. Even if there is, the trays 600 to be carried to the B ward may be stored in the empty area until the empty area of the tray storage 60 is filled with trays 600. In this case, the lifter control unit 410 dispenses the trays 600 to be transported to Ward B to the tray storage 60 until the remaining number of storage reaches 0, and temporarily stops dispensing the trays 600 when the remaining number of storage reaches 0. do. Thereafter, for example, when the above-mentioned dispensing permission is received, or when the above-mentioned installation detection section detects the installation of another tray storage 60, the lifter control section 410 controls the tray 600 to be transported to the B ward. Payout to the storage 60 is started. This makes it possible to store the trays 600 to be transported to the B ward in different tray storages 60.

In this way, when it is determined that the remaining number of trays 600 to be stored is less than the total number of trays 600 to be transported to Ward B, for example, one of the following two processes is executed. (1) Even if there is an empty space in the tray storage 60 that stores the tray 600 to be transported to Ward A, the tray 600 to be transported to Ward B is stored in another tray storage 60 different from the tray storage 60 concerned. Store it in (2) After storing the trays 600 to be carried to the B ward in the tray storage 60 that stores the trays 600 to be carried to the A ward until there is no free space, the remaining trays 600 are stored in the other tray storage 60. store.

At this time, which of the above (1) and (2) the lifter control unit 410 executes may be determined in advance by setting, or may be determined by the user's selection when the determination is made as described above. I don't mind.

<Other configurations>
The housing 51 of the tray dispensing device 50 is provided with a fixing member that temporarily fixes the tray storage 60 when the tray storage 60 is inserted into the insertion port 53. The fixing member is, for example, a magnet. By providing the fixing member, it is possible to prevent the tray storage 60 from moving while the tray 600 is being dispensed by the tray dispensing device 50.

The fixing member may be connected to a horizontal rotating shaft and may be rotatably attached around the rotating shaft. Thereby, even if the tray storage 60 is inserted in an inclined state with respect to the tray dispensing device 50, the tray storage 60 is moved so that the tray dispensing device 50 and the tray storage 60 are in a substantially parallel state. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the tray 600 being caught in the storage position when the tray 600 is inserted into an arbitrary storage position due to the tray storage 60 being tilted with respect to the tray dispensing device 50.

[Card holder]
Next, details of the card holder 500 will be explained. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the card holder 500. 16001 in FIG. 16 shows a plan view when the card holder 500 is viewed from the front side, and 16002 in FIG. 16 shows a plan view when the card holder 500 is viewed from the back side. Further, 16003 in FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the card holder 500 taken along the line AA shown in 16001 in FIG.

The card holder 500 is provided on the side surface of the tray 600 and holds the rewrite card RC. As shown at 16001 in FIG. 16, the card holder 500 includes an outer edge 511 forming an opening and a bottom 512 on which the rewrite card RC is placed. The rewrite card RC is removed from the card holder 500 or attached (inserted) to the card holder 500 through the opening formed by the outer edge portion 511. Further, a space defined by the outer edge portion 511 and the bottom portion 512 (a rectangular area surrounded by a dotted line in the figure) functions as a card attachment portion 513 in which the rewrite card RC is held (attached). Note that the rectangular area substantially matches the size of the rewrite card RC.

The card holder 500 is formed, for example, by joining an upper member defining an outer edge portion 511 and a lower member defining a bottom portion 512. The upper member and the lower member are made of resin, for example.

Furthermore, the surfaces of the upper and lower members facing the front side of the card holder 500 are processed to reduce light reflection. For example, fine irregularities are formed on the surface (eg, textured). Thereby, when the card detection unit 176 irradiates light onto the card holder 500, reflection of the light by the outer edge portion 511 or the bottom portion 512 is suppressed. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the rewrite card RC can be improved.

Note that the processing described above is not necessarily required unless the improvement of the detection accuracy is considered. Further, the card holder 500 may be manufactured by molding a single plate-like member.

A pair of claw portions 514 are provided at opposing portions of the outer edge portion 511. In this embodiment, four claws 514a to 514d are provided near the corners of the card holder 500 on both short sides of the card holder 500. A pair of claw parts 514 is constituted by a set of claw parts 514a and 514b and a set of claw parts 514c and 514d.

The pair of claws 514 are arranged along the deformation direction of the rewrite card RC when the rewrite card RC is pulled out from the front of the card holder 500 while being bent or when the rewrite card RC is attached from the front of the card holder 500 while being bent. It stands out. In this embodiment, the deformation direction is the direction of the arrows 16001 and 16003 in FIG. 16 (the direction in which the long sides extend). Specifically, the claw portion 514 extends from both short sides of the card holder 500 (specifically, the second side wall 511b of the outer edge portion 511) to the opening side formed by the outer edge portion 511 (inside of the card holder 500). protruding towards. Note that the side wall of the outer edge portion 511 on the longer side is referred to as a first side wall 511a, and the side wall of the outer edge portion 511 on the shorter side is referred to as a second side wall 511b.

By providing the claw portion 514, the outer edge portion of the rewrite card RC is provided between the claw portion 514 and the plane including the bottom portion 512 (hereinafter also referred to as “between the claw portion 514 and the bottom portion 512”). It is possible to form a gap into which a portion of the material should be inserted. By providing the claw portion 514, the rewrite card RC which has returned to its original state by being pressed against the card holder 500 in a bent state from the front side of the card holder 500 (the opening formed by the outer edge portion 511) , can be held at the end of the rewrite card RC. In other words, the claw part 514 functions as a part to prevent the rewrite card RC from coming off. Further, the rewrite card RC held in the card holder 500 can be removed from the front of the card holder 500 in a bent state. In particular, since the claw portion 514 is provided so as to protrude in the deformation direction, the load on the claw portion 514 can be reduced when the rewrite card RC is removed or installed while being bent. In other words, the rewrite card RC can be smoothly removed or installed while being bent. Therefore, deformation or damage to the rewrite card RC can be suppressed, and the life of the rewrite card RC can be extended.

Note that, in this embodiment, the claw portions 514 are provided on opposing portions of both short sides, but the claw portions 514 may be provided on opposing portions of both long sides. The claw portions 514 may be provided so as to face each other at least in the deformation direction. Further, a pair of claw portions 514 may be provided at opposing portions of both short sides, and a pair of claw portions 514 may be provided at opposing portions of the long and short sides. In other words, the opposing portions on which the pair of claw portions 514 are provided are (1) portions of the outer edge portion 511 that are opposing in the deformation direction (e.g. opposing portions of both short sides); and (2) Refers to at least one of the opposing portions of the outer edge portion 511 in the direction perpendicular to the deformation direction (eg, opposing portions of both long sides).

Further, as shown at 16003 in FIG. 16, the inner wall of the claw portion 514 facing the opening 517 extends from the outer edge portion 511 (in this embodiment, the second side wall 511b (short side)) of the card holder 500. It is inclined so that the height Hi between the claw portion 514 and the bottom portion 512 increases toward the inside.

Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the rewrite card RC being pulled out or installed while being bent from getting caught on the claw portion 514 or the bottom portion 512. For example, even if the rewrite card RC has deteriorated and becomes easily caught, the occurrence of the catch can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of extracting or mounting the rewrite card RC. Furthermore, since the load on the rewrite card RC can be reduced, deformation of the rewrite card RC can be suppressed. Note that if this point is not taken into account, the inner wall of the claw portion 514 may extend substantially parallel to the bottom portion 512, for example.

Further, when the corner RCc of the rewrite card RC pressed against the card holder 500 in a bent state comes into contact with the outer edge 511 (specifically, near the corner of the outer edge 511), A card guide portion 515 is provided that guides the corner portion RCc to the pair of claw portions 514.

Specifically, as shown at 16001 in FIG. 16, the card guide section 515 has a corner of the opening formed by the outer edge section 511 in a substantially curved shape (substantially C shape) when the card holder 500 is viewed from above. It is set up so that In other words, the card guide portion 515 extends from the inside of the card holder 500 toward the short side in the region on the short side where the claw portion 514 is provided, and the width of the opening in the direction in which the short side extends. It is provided at the corner of the card holder 500 so that the length is shortened. In other words, the card guide section 515 extends the width of the opening in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the rewrite card RC extends when the rewrite card RC is attached while being bent in the above region. It is provided at the corner of the card holder 500 so as to be short. In this embodiment, the card guide portion 515 is a side wall extending from the first side wall 511a toward the claw portion 514 side (second side wall 511b side).

In other words, the card guide portion 515 is a part of the outer edge portion 511 that defines the area in which the rewrite card RC is mounted (that is, the opening formed by the outer edge portion 511). When the card holder 500 is viewed from above, the card guide section 515 is configured to shorten the width in the direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the rewrite card RC extends at the end of the opening. It is provided at the corner of the opening. In this example, the end of the opening is the region on the short side.

Here, it is assumed that the rewrite card RC is mounted with a shift toward the longer side of the card mounting portion 513. At this time, the rewrite card RC is inserted while returning from the bent state to the original state, and comes into contact with the side wall defining the card guide section 515. The corner portion RCc of the rewrite card RC that has contacted the card guide portion 515 is guided along the side wall from the first side wall 511a side to the second side wall 511b side. As described above, the corner portion RCc of the rewrite card RC has a curved shape, so that it is easily guided by the card guide portion 515 that defines the end of the opening formed by the outer edge portion 511 into a substantially C shape. As a result, the end of the rewrite card RC is inserted between the claw portion 514 and the bottom portion 512, so that the rewrite card RC is held by the claw portion 514.

In this way, by providing the card guide portion 515, even if the rewrite card RC is installed with a deviation toward the long side (in a direction different from the above-mentioned deformation direction), the rewrite card RC can be held at a predetermined position. The rewrite card RC can be moved to a new position. Therefore, even if a positional shift occurs when the rewrite card RC is attached, the rewrite card RC can be held by the claw portion 514.

Further, the bottom portion 512 is provided with a ventilation hole 516 . As described above, the rewrite card RC is extracted from the card holder 500 by suction. If the ventilation hole 516 is not provided, when the rewrite card RC is suctioned, depending on the suction force, not only the rewrite card RC but also the card holder 500 itself may be suctioned through the rewrite card RC. . In this case, the rewrite card RC cannot be removed.

When the ventilation hole 516 is provided, it is possible to prevent a vacuum state between the rewrite card RC and the bottom portion 512 when the rewrite card RC is suctioned, thereby reducing the force of suctioning the card holder 500. I can do it. Therefore, it becomes possible to extract the rewrite card RC with high accuracy. However, if the rewrite card RC can be removed even when the suction force (adsorption force) is relatively small, it is not necessarily necessary to provide the ventilation hole 516.

Further, as shown at 16001 to 16003 in FIG. 16, an opening 517 is provided in the bottom portion 512 at least in a region facing the claw portion 514.

The rewrite card RC is pulled out or installed while being bent. Therefore, if the opening 517 is not provided, the end of the rewrite card RC will get caught on the claw 514 or the bottom 512 between the claw 514 and the bottom 512, making it impossible to remove or install the rewrite card RC. There is a possibility that it will disappear.

By providing the opening 517 in the above region, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the rewrite card RC will be caught. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of extracting or mounting the rewrite card RC. Furthermore, since the load on the rewrite card RC can be reduced, deformation of the rewrite card RC can be suppressed.

Further, as shown at 16003 in FIG. 16, the bottom portion 512 is flat. When the bottom portion 512 is provided with a recess (described later), the rewrite card RC can be easily removed, but the possibility of the rewrite card RC falling increases accordingly. When the bottom portion 512 is flat, the possibility of the rewrite card RC falling can be suppressed. However, if it is possible to reduce the possibility of falling by considering the size, shape, depth, and formation position of the recess, a recess may be provided in the bottom portion 512 instead of the opening 517. I don't mind. In this case, it becomes possible to easily remove the rewrite card RC.

<Modified example>
Next, a modification of the card holder 500 will be described. 17 to 19 are diagrams showing modified examples of the card holder 500.

(Card holders 501 and 502)
17001 in FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the card holder 501. As shown in FIG. 17002 in FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the card holder 502. As shown in FIG. Card holder 501 differs from card holder 500 in that the shape of bottom portion 521 and the shape of card guide portion 515 are different. Card holder 502 also differs from card holder 501 in that a bottom portion 512 is flat.

Specifically, a recess 522 is provided in the bottom 521 of the card holder 501. The recess 522 is provided so as to extend in the direction in which both short sides provided with the claw portions 514 extend (in a direction substantially perpendicular to the deformation direction). Further, the recessed portion 522 is provided in an end region of the bottom portion 512 on the short side including a position facing the claw portion 514 . In other words, the card holder 501 is lower than the other regions of the bottom 521 at least in the region (end region) facing the claw portion 514 .

In the end region, as described above, the end of the rewrite card RC is easily caught by the claw portion 514 or the bottom portion 512 between the claw portion 514 and the bottom portion 512. In the card holder 501, by providing the recess 522 in the end region, the occurrence of the card being caught can be suppressed, as in the case where the opening 517 is provided.

Note that the recess 522 does not necessarily need to be provided over the entire end region. For example, the recessed portion 522 may be provided in a region facing each of the claw portions 514a to 514d, as long as the occurrence of the above-mentioned catching can be suppressed.

However, as described above, from the viewpoint of reducing the occurrence of the held rewrite card RC falling, a configuration in which the recess 522 is not provided may be used. As shown at 17002 in FIG. 17, the card holder 502 is a configuration example in which the card holder 501 is not provided with the recess 522 (the bottom portion 512 is flat). However, in the card holder 502, although it is possible to reduce the occurrence of the above-mentioned falling due to the recess 522, the end of the rewrite card RC gets caught in the claw part 514 or the bottom part 512 when the rewrite card RC is removed or installed. there is a possibility. Taking this point into consideration, it is better to provide an opening 517 in the flat bottom 512 instead of the recess 522 as in the card holder 500.

Further, the card guide portion 523 of the card holders 501 and 502 extends from the upper surface portion 511c (a part of the outer edge portion 511) of the outer edge portion 511 toward the vicinity of the area of the bottom portion 521 facing each of the claw portions 514a to 514d. , is inclined. The card guide portion 523 is inclined from the upper surface portion 511c toward the end region at a position of the outer edge portion 511 on the long side where the card guide portion 523 is connected to the claw portion 514. Further, the inclined area of the card guide portion 523 becomes larger toward the claw portion 514.

As a result, even if the rewrite card RC is installed with a shift toward the long side, the end of the rewrite card RC runs along the above-mentioned inclined area and faces the claw part 514 of the bottom part 521 or the bottom part 512. It will be inserted to the desired position. Therefore, even if a positional shift occurs when the rewrite card RC is attached, the rewrite card RC can be held by the claw portion 514.

However, depending on the condition of the rewrite card RC, such as deterioration over time (deformation or damage to the corner RCc), the end of the rewrite card RC guided from the card guide section 523 may be bent when inserted into the claw section 514. There is a possibility that it will get caught in the claw portion 514. In the case of the card guide section 515, unlike the card guide section 523, the card guide section 515 is not inclined from the top surface section 511c toward the bottom section 521 or the bottom section 512. That is, the card guide section 515 is formed of a side wall that stands up substantially perpendicularly from the bottom section 521 or the bottom section 512, and defines the end of the opening that forms the outer edge section 511 into a substantially C shape. Therefore, the occurrence of such catching can be reduced.

(Card holders 503 and 504)
The card holder 503 shown at 18001 in FIG. 18 differs from the card holder 500 in that it includes a bottom portion 531 with a recess 532 provided in the end region, and a claw portion 533 provided over the entire short side. . In the card holder 500, the claw portions 514 are provided at some of the short sides (specifically, at two locations on each short side). Even with the shape of the claw portion 533, similarly to the card holder 501, the rewrite card RC can be held and the rewrite card RC can be removed or attached while being bent.

Further, in this configuration, as shown at 18001 and 18002 in FIG. 18, a recess 532 is provided in the bottom portion 531, similar to the card holder 501 shown at 17002 in FIG. Note that 18002 in FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the card holder 503 taken along the long side of the portion surrounded by the dotted line.

As shown at 18002 in FIG. 18, in the card holder 503, the distance D1 (depth) from the claw portion 533 to the bottom portion 531 (recessed portion 532) is calculated when there is no recessed portion 532 (when the above-mentioned end area is flat). can be made longer than the distance D2 from the claw portion 533 to the bottom (position indicated by the dotted line). Therefore, even if the rewrite card RC is inserted and held with a slight deviation in the long side direction, the end of the rewrite card RC can be prevented from being caught by the claw portion 533 or the bottom portion 531, as described above. In this way, even in the card holder 503 including the claw portion 533 provided over the entire short side, the precision with which the rewrite card RC is extracted can be improved.

A card holder 504 shown at 19001 in FIG. 19 differs from the card holder 503 in that it includes a card guide section 551. The card holder 504 shown in FIG. Like the card guide section 523, the card guide section 551 is inclined from the first side wall 511a (a part of the outer edge section 511) of the outer edge section 511 toward the vicinity of the area of the bottom section 531 that faces each of the claw sections 533. are doing. Specifically, as shown at 19002 in FIG. 19, the card guide portion 551 is inclined from the first side wall 511a toward the end region. By providing the card guide section 551, similarly to the card guide section 523, even if a positional shift occurs when the rewrite card RC is installed, the rewrite card RC can be held by the claw section 533.

Note that in the card holder 504, a card guide portion 551 is provided only at one end of each of the pair of claw portions 533. That is, the card guide portions 551 are provided at two locations near the end of one of the first side walls 511a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the card guide portion 551 is provided at both ends of each of the pair of claw portions 533 (that is, at two locations near the end of each of both first side walls 511a (four locations in total)). It does not matter if it is provided.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as the members described in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated. The same applies to subsequent embodiments.

In the second embodiment, an example of the operation of the card attachment/detachment device 150 will be described in a case where a tray 610 is used instead of the tray 600 as a tray for transporting medicine. Before explaining the operation example, the tray 610 and the card holder 510 provided on the tray 610 will be explained.

[Tray and card holder]
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tray 610. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the card holder 510. 22001 in FIG. 22 is a front view of the card holder 510, and 22002 in FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the card holder 510. 22001 in FIG. 22 shows a state in which the rewrite card RC is attached to the card holder 510.

The tray 610, like the tray 600, is used to accommodate medicines etc. dispensed from the medicine dispensing device 30 in the medicine dispensing system 1. The tray 610 containing drugs and the like is delivered to the tray storage 60 by the tray delivery device 50.

In place of the card holder 500, a card holder 510 (card holding section, first card holding section) capable of holding a rewrite card RC is provided on the side surface of the tray 610 at a position facing the card removal device 150. . However, the height of tray 610 is shorter than the height of tray 600. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the card holder 500 (approximately the same height as the side surface of the tray 600) provided on the tray 600 is provided on the side surface of the tray 610, a part of the card holder 500 is attached to the side surface of the tray 600. protrude from When the trays 610 are stacked, the protruding portions of the card holders 500 may interfere with each other, so that the trays 610 may not be able to be stacked. Further, the protruding portion of the card holder 500 may interfere with each device constituting the medicine dispensing system 1, thereby hindering the transportation of the tray 610 in the medicine dispensing system 1. Therefore, the height of the card holder 510 provided on the tray 610 is limited to some extent. Note that the height of the card holder 510 is the length of the short side of the card holder 510 (the length in the direction substantially perpendicular to the deformation direction Dt of the rewrite card RC).

Further, the length of the short side of the card holder 500 can be defined with a margin in accordance with the height of the tray 600 relative to the length of the short side of the rewrite card RC. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, even if the card guide section 515 is provided at the corner (both ends of the short side) of the opening formed by the outer edge section 511, the card guide section 515 will cause the interference as described above. is unlikely to occur. On the other hand, since the height of the card holder 510 is limited to some extent, when the card guide section 515 is provided, there is a possibility that the above-mentioned interference will occur.

Therefore, as shown in 22001 in FIG. 22, the card holder 510 is not provided with the card guide portion 515, and the length of the short side of the card holder 510 is defined to be approximately the same as the length of the short side of the rewrite card RC. ing. Thereby, the amount of protrusion of the card holder 510 from the top of the tray 610 can be reduced, and the possibility of the above-mentioned interference occurring can be reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 21, the card holder 510 may be provided so as to be inclined with respect to the side surface of the tray 610 so as to be separated from the side surface of the tray 610 from the bottom to the top of the tray 610. In this case, the length of the short side of the card holder 510 (apparent height Ht of the card holder 510) when the side surface on which the card holder 510 is provided is viewed from above is the actual length of the short side of the card holder 510. It can be shorter than the length. Thereby, the amount of protrusion can be further reduced. Further, the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 of the card attachment/detachment device 150 can be brought into contact with the card holder 510 substantially in parallel. Therefore, the rewrite card RC after the suction by the card suction section 151 is released can be stably held by the guide sections 152 and 153 and the card holder 510.

However, if the card guide portion 515 cannot be provided, when the rewrite card RC comes into contact with the card holder 510 with a deviation in the short side direction, there is a possibility that the deviation cannot be corrected. If the misalignment cannot be corrected, there is a possibility that the rewrite card RC cannot be inserted into the gap formed between the bottom 562 of the card holder 510 and the pair of claws 564 (that is, the rewrite card RC cannot be attached to the card holder 510). There is. Therefore, in order to reduce the possibility of misalignment, the card holder 510 does not include the card guide section 515, but instead has a configuration that allows the mounting method of the rewrite card RC using the card mounting/dismounting device 150 of this embodiment. There is. Hereinafter, the configuration of the card holder 510 and the method of attaching the rewrite card RC by the card detaching device 150 (an example of the operation of the card detaching device 150) will be described.

As shown at 22002 in FIG. 22, the card holder 510, like the card holder 500, includes an outer edge 561 and a bottom 562. Similar to the card holder 500, the side wall of the outer edge portion 561 defines an area where the rewrite card RC is mounted. A space defined by the outer edge portion 561 and the bottom portion 562 functions as a card attachment portion 563, and the card attachment portion 563 defines the above area.

Here, in the present embodiment, the card attachment/detachment device 150 is located at a position shifted in the +z-axis direction shown in FIG. Bring the rewrite card RC into contact. When the card holder 510 is viewed in plan, the area (position) where the rewrite card RC is mounted can also be referred to as a first position, and a position shifted from the first position can also be referred to as a second position. The second position may be any position where a part of the rewrite card RC can come into contact with the card holder 510.

Specifically, the card removal device 150 brings the bent rewrite card RC into contact with the card holder 510 at the second position from the front side of the card holder 510, and then pushes the rewrite card RC into the card holder 510 side. I'll go. As a result, the rewrite card RC returns to its original state in the second position. Thereafter, the card attachment/detachment device 150 attaches the rewrite card RC to the card holder 510 by moving the rewrite card RC from the second position to the first position.

In other words, the rewrite card RC is attached to the card holder 510 by coming into contact with the card holder 510 from the front side of the card holder 510 at the second position, and then moving to the first position.

Considering that the rewrite card RC is attached to the card holder 510 in this manner, a notch 566 is formed in the upper wall 561t of the outer edge 561. The upper wall 561t is a side wall on the side where the rewrite card RC comes into contact with the card holder 510. The notches 566 are formed on both sides (short side) of the upper wall 561t along the deformation direction Dt.

By forming the cutout portions 566 at the positions on both sides, the end portions of the rewrite card RC in a bent state can be brought into contact with the bottom portion 562. Then, the rewrite card RC is pushed in and the end portion moves on the bottom portion 562 along the deformation direction Dt, thereby inserting the end portion into the gap formed between the bottom portion 562 and the claw portion 564. I can do it. Therefore, the rewrite card RC can be reliably attached to the card holder 510.

Furthermore, the area where the upper wall 561t interferes when the rewrite card RC moves from the second position to the first position can be reduced. Therefore, the rewrite card RC can be smoothly guided to the first position.

Further, in this embodiment, a notch 567 is also formed in the lower wall 561b of the outer edge portion 561. The cutout portions 567 are formed on both sides of the lower wall 561b along the deformation direction Dt. The notches 566 and 567 formed at one end of the upper wall 561t and the lower wall 561b and the notches 566 and 567 formed at the other end of the upper wall 561t and the lower wall 561b are perpendicular to the deformation direction Dt. It is located on a straight line along the direction. This area is an area where each of the guide parts 152 and 153 moves while pressing the rewrite card RC against the card holder 510 when the rewrite card RC moves from the second position to the first position. Therefore, by providing the notches 566 and 567 on the one end side and the other end side, when the guide parts 152 and 153 move, the possibility of interference with the upper wall 561t and the lower wall 561b can be reduced.

Further, the lower wall 561b functions as a card support section that supports the rewrite card RC. Therefore, the rewrite card RC can be supported not only by the card support section 565, which will be described later, but also by the lower wall 561b. Therefore, the card holder 510 can stably hold the rewrite card RC.

Although the notch 566 is formed in the upper wall 561t, the entire upper wall 561t may be removed.

Card holder 510 includes a pair of claws 564. Similar to the card holder 500, the pair of claws 564 are provided on the card holder 510 so as to protrude along the deformation direction Dt. However, unlike the case of the card holder 500, the pair of claw portions 564 extend along each short side of the card holder 510 (outer edge portion 561). Each short side is two of the four sides forming the area (card attachment portion 563).

At the end (first end) of each of the pair of claws 564 opposite to the side where the rewrite card RC contacts the card holder 510, a card that supports the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510 is attached. A support portion 565 is provided. As a result, the rewrite card RC that has moved from the second position to the first position is supported by the card support section 565. Therefore, the possibility that the rewrite card RC will move beyond the first position can be reduced. In this embodiment, the card support portions 565 are provided at both ends of the lower wall 561b. Therefore, the possibility of falling below the card holder 510 (in the −z axis direction shown in FIG. 23) can be reduced.

Furthermore, a notch 564a may be formed at the end (second end) of each of the pair of claws 564 on the side where the rewrite card RC contacts the card holder 510. By providing the notch portion 564a, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the rewrite card RC will interfere with the claw portion 564 when the rewrite card RC is moved from the front of the card holder 510 to the second position.

The longer the length of the notch portion 564a in the direction in which the claw portion 564 extends, the closer the second position can be to the first position. That is, the rewrite card RC can be brought into contact with the card holder 510 at a position close to the first position. Therefore, the amount of movement of the guide portions 152 and 153 in the z-axis direction shown in FIG. 23 can be reduced. However, as the length of the notch portion 564a is longer, the length of the claw portion 564 in this direction becomes shorter, so that holding of the rewrite card RC by the claw portion 564 may become unstable. The length of the notch 564a is determined with this point in mind. Note that the notch 564a does not necessarily need to be formed.

[Example of operation of card insertion/removal device]
23001 to 23004 in FIG. 23 are diagrams showing an example of the operation when the rewrite card RC is attached to the card holder 510.

In the card attachment/detachment device 150 of this embodiment, the Z-axis motor 173 (see FIG. 5) moves the rewrite card RC attracted by the card attraction section 151 and bent by the guide sections 152 and 153 (bending mechanism) as described above. It is brought into contact with the card holder 510 at the second position. after that,
The θ-axis motor 174 (see FIG. 5) functions as a card moving unit that moves the rewrite card RC from the second position to the first position.

As a premise of the operation example shown in FIG. 23, the card suction section 151 holds the rewrite card RC in a bent state by suctioning the guide sections 152, 153, etc. (bending mechanism). Further, after the card removal device 150 removes the rewrite card RC from the card placement section 210, the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 are brought into a state facing the card holder 510 due to rotation by the θ-axis motor 174. ing.

In this state, the θ-axis motor 174 moves the card suction portion 151 and the guide portions 152 and 153 so that the card suction portion 151 and the guide portions 152 and 153 move in the arrow direction (upward) shown at 23001 in FIG. is rotated at a predetermined angle.

As described above, the card holder 510 is provided to be inclined with respect to the side surface of the tray 610. By this rotation, the card suction section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 can be moved so as to be substantially parallel to the card holder 510 provided at an angle with respect to the side surface of the tray 610. In addition, the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 are moved so that the rewrite card RC comes into contact with a part of the card holder 510 at the second position Po12 (a position shifted upward relative to the card holder 510). can be done. The above-mentioned predetermined angle may be a size that can realize such movement of the card suction section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153.

Thereafter, as shown at 23002 in FIG. 23, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 to the card holder 510 by moving the support section 161 along the first direction. let Thereby, the Z-axis motor 173 brings the rewrite card RC into contact with the card holder 510 at the second position Po12 on the side where the notch 566 is provided. That is, the Z-axis motor 173 brings the rewrite card RC into contact with the card holder 510 with a portion of the rewrite card RC protruding from the card holder 510.

Thereafter, the solenoid valve control section 430 turns off the solenoid valve 172, and the rewrite card RC is released from the card suction section 151. In this state, as shown at 23003 in FIG. 23, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 to the card holder 510 by moving the support section 161 along the first direction. move further. As the rewrite card RC is pushed into the card holder 510, the bent rewrite card RC returns to its original state, and a part of the rewrite card RC is removed from the gap formed between the bottom part 562 and the claw part 564. inserted into.

Thereafter, as shown at 23004 in FIG. 23, the Z-axis motor 173 moves the support so as to draw the card adsorption section 151 into the card removal device 150 while keeping the guide sections 152 and 153 in contact with the rewrite card RC. The section 161 is moved in the second direction. In this state, the θ-axis motor 174 moves the card suction portion 151 and the guide portions 152 and 153 so that the card suction portion 151 and the guide portions 152 and 153 move in the arrow direction (downward) shown at 23004 in FIG. is rotated at a predetermined angle. That is, the θ-axis motor 174 moves the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 in the opposite direction to the direction in which they were moved at 23001 in FIG. As a result, the card suction section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 are moved to a position facing the horizontal direction (y-axis direction).

In the state 23004 in FIG. 23, the guide portions 152 and 153 are in contact with the rewrite card RC. By moving the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153 downward, the guide sections 152 and 153 move the rewrite card RC that is in contact with them in the direction of the first position Po11 due to frictional force. Therefore, as shown at 23005 in FIG. 23, the rewrite card RC can be attached to the first position Po11 (card attachment portion 563, that is, the normal attachment position). It can be said that the predetermined angle is defined as an angle that allows the rewrite card RC to be moved from the second position Po12 to the first position Po11.

In this way, the Z-axis motor 173 and the θ-axis motor 174 move the card adsorption section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153, thereby allowing the rewrite card RC to be mounted on the card holder 510. Therefore, the card attachment/detachment device 150 can attach the rewrite card RC not only to the card holder 500 but also to the card holder 510. In other words, the card attachment/detachment device 150 can be commonly used to attach the rewrite card RC to the card holder 500 and the card holder 510 by simply changing its operation.

Note that the rewrite card RC may be removed from the card holder 510 in the reverse order of the operation shown in FIG. 23, or in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the mounting and removal of the rewrite card RC on the card placement section 210 may be the same as in the first embodiment. However, if the card placement section 210 has the same shape as the card holder 510, the rewrite card RC may be attached to and removed from the card placement section 210 in the operating order shown in FIG. 23 or in the reverse order. do not have.

Furthermore, the card moving section may be implemented as a separate member from the Z-axis motor 173. That is, in order to realize the movement of the rewrite card RC between the first position Po11 and the second position Po12, the card moving section is a mechanism (e.g., an elevating mechanism) that moves the card suction section 151 and the guide sections 152 and 153. ) may be provided.

[Embodiment 3]
In the medicine dispensing system 1A of the third embodiment, a tray 610 or 620 can be used instead of the tray 600 as a tray for transporting medicine. Further, in the drug dispensing system 1A, a card holder 510A can be used instead of the card holder 510. First, an example of the trays 610 and 620 and an example of the holder holding member 700 that holds the card holder 510A and is attached to the tray 610 or 620 will be described.

〔tray〕
FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the trays 610 and 620. In FIG. 24, 24001 shows an example of the configuration of the tray 610, and 24002 shows an example of the configuration of the tray 620.

As shown at 24001 in FIG. 24, the tray 610 includes an edge 611, a first protrusion 612, and a second protrusion 613. The tray 610 is the same member as the tray 610 shown in FIG.

The edge 611 is a short side portion of the edge defining the opening of the tray 610, and is a portion on which the holder holding member 700 is held. The edge 611 has a thickness in the vertical direction. The length of the edge 611 in the longitudinal direction is expressed as L1.

The first protrusion 612 and the second protrusion 613 protrude from the edge 611 in the vertical direction, and are portions that restrict movement of the holder holding member 700 in the longitudinal direction. The first protrusion 612 and the second protrusion 613 are parts connected to both ends of the edge 611, respectively, and define corners of the tray 610.

As shown at 24002 in FIG. 24, the tray 620 includes an edge 621, a third protrusion 622, and a fourth protrusion 623. The height of tray 620 is longer than the height of tray 610. In this embodiment, the height of the tray 620 is defined to be approximately twice the height of the tray 610. By specifying the height of the tray 620 to be an integral multiple of the height of the tray 610, the tray 620 can be stored in a later-described tray storage 60A (see FIG. 28) in which the tray 610 is stored.

The edge 621 is a short side portion of the edge defining the opening of the tray 610, and is a portion on which the holder holding member 700 is held. The edge 621 has a thickness in the vertical direction. The thickness of the edge 611 and the edge 621 are approximately the same. The length of the edge 621 in the longitudinal direction is expressed as L2. Length L2 is shorter than length L1.

The third protrusion 622 and the fourth protrusion 623 protrude from the edge 621 in the vertical direction, and are portions that restrict movement of the holder holding member 700 in the longitudinal direction. The third protrusion 622 and the fourth protrusion 623 are parts connected to both ends of the edge 621, respectively, and define corners of the tray 620.

[Holder holding member]
FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a state in which the holder holding member 700 is attached to the tray 610. 25001 in FIG. 25 is a front view of the holder holding member 700 mounted on the tray 610. 25002 in FIG. 25 is a plan view of the holder holding member 700 mounted on the tray 610.

Holder holding member 700 is a member that holds card holder 510A. When the tray 610 or 620 is conveyed to the card information changing unit 100 (see FIG. 27), the holder holding member 700 holds the card at a position facing the card removal device 150 (see FIG. 27) of the card information changing unit 100. Holds holder 510A. In other words, the holder holding member 700 takes out the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A, and holds the card holder 510A in a position where the removed rewrite card RC can be attached to the card holder 510A. There is.

When the holder holding member 700 is attached to the tray 610 or 620, the card holder 510A is provided to the tray 610 or 620 similarly to the card holder 510 of the second embodiment. That is, the card holder 510A is held by the holder holding member 700 so as to be tilted toward the side surface of the tray 610 from the bottom of the tray 610 so as to be separated from the side surface of the tray 610.

Note that the card holder 510A is the same as the card holder 510 in terms of the configuration (eg, size and shape) other than including a protrusion 571, which will be described later. Further, in this embodiment, the holder holding member 700 and the card holder 510A are described as being separate bodies, but they may be integrally formed.

The holder holding member 700 includes a base 701 that holds the card holder 510A, and a protrusion 702 provided at one end of the base 701.

The base portion 701 includes a top surface portion 703, a bottom surface portion 705, and a side surface portion 704 that is connected to the top surface portion 703 and the bottom surface portion 705 and holds the card holder 510A. The cross-sectional shape of the base portion 701 is defined by the top surface portion 703, the side surface portions 704, and the bottom surface portion 705 to be a C-shaped cross-section that forms an opening that opens in the depth direction of the page 25001 in FIG. This cross section is a cross section taken along a plane including perpendicular lines to the top surface portion 703, side surface portion 704, and bottom surface portion 705. Further, the height of the opening of the base 701 is approximately the same as the thickness of the edges 611 and 621. Thereby, the edges 611 and 621 can be fitted to the base 701, and the possibility that the base 701 will move in the vertical direction can be reduced. Therefore, the possibility that the card holder 510A moves in the vertical direction can be reduced.

The protrusion 702 is provided at one end of the base 701 and is a portion for adjusting the length of the holder holding member 700 in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion 702 is provided so as to be cuttable with, for example, nippers. If the length of the holder holding member 700 including the projection 702 in the longitudinal direction is expressed as L3, the length L3 is approximately the same as the length L1 of the edge 611 in the longitudinal direction.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 25, when the base 701 is attached to the edge 611, the protrusion 702 contacts the first protrusion 612, and the end of the base 701 opposite to the protrusion 702 It comes into contact with the second protrusion 613 . Therefore, since the first protrusion 612 and the second protrusion 613 can reduce the possibility that the holder holding member 700 will move in the longitudinal direction, the possibility that the card holder 510A will move in the longitudinal direction can be reduced.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a state in which the holder holding member 700 is attached to the tray 620. 26001 in FIG. 26 is a front view of the holder holding member 700 mounted on the tray 620. 26002 in FIG. 26 is a plan view of the holder holding member 700 mounted on the tray 620.

As mentioned above, protrusion 702 can be cut. As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the length of the holder holding member 700 in the longitudinal direction when the projection 702 is cut (that is, the length L4 of the base 701 in the longitudinal direction) is the length of the edge 621 in the longitudinal direction. It is approximately the same as L2.

Therefore, the user cuts the protrusion 702 when attaching the holder holding member 700 to the tray 620. As a result, as shown in FIG. 26, when the base 701 is attached to the edge 621, the end where the projection 702 was provided comes into contact with the third projection 622, and the projection 702 of the base 701 The end opposite to the provided end comes into contact with the fourth protrusion 623 . Therefore, the third protrusion 622 and the fourth protrusion 623 can reduce the possibility that the holder holding member 700 will move in the longitudinal direction, similar to when the holder holding member 700 is attached to the tray 610. The possibility of movement in the direction can be reduced.

In this way, by providing the cuttable protrusion 702 at one end of the holder holding member 700, each of the edge 611 and the edge 621, which have different lengths in the longitudinal direction and are the mounting positions of the holder holding member 700, can be , the holder holding member 700 can be fixed in a removable manner.

[Card holder]
As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, a protrusion 571 is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall 561t of the card holder 510A. The protrusion 571 has a function of stopping the movement of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A when it moves toward the upper wall 561t.

As described in Embodiment 2 using FIG. 23, when the rewrite card RC is attached to the card holder 510A, it moves from the second position Po12 on the upper wall 561t side to the card attachment part 563 of the card holder 510A (see FIG. 22). reference) position (first position Po11). A notch 566 is provided in the card holder 510A so that the card holder 510A can be inserted smoothly. However, by providing the notch 566, the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A can easily come out from the card holder 510A. By providing the protrusion 571, the rewrite card RC can be made difficult to fall out from the card holder 510A, and the possibility that the rewrite card RC will fall can be reduced.

Note that the protruding portion 571 only needs to protrude from the lower surface portion of the upper wall 561t to an extent that the rewrite card RC is not irreversibly deformed when the card removal device 150 extracts the rewrite card RC.

[Overall configuration of tray dispensing device]
The overall configuration of the tray dispensing device 50A of this embodiment will be described. 27001 in FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of the tray dispensing device 50A. The drug dispensing system 1A of this embodiment differs from the drug dispensing system 1 in that it includes a tray dispensing device 50A instead of the tray dispensing device 50 of the drug dispensing system 1 shown in FIG. The medicine dispensing system 1A dispenses medicine to tray 610 or 620 instead of or in addition to tray 600. That is, the tray dispensing device 50A mainly executes dispensing of the tray 610 or 620, but it is also possible to execute dispensing of the tray 600. Hereinafter, as an example, it is assumed that the medicine dispensing system 1A handles the tray 610.

In the tray dispensing device 50 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. ) is attached. In the tray dispensing device 50A of this embodiment, as shown at 27001 in FIG. attached to the side).

As shown in FIG. 28, the tray storage 60A of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of storage positions for storing the trays 610. 28001 in FIG. 28 is a front view showing an example of the tray storage 60A, and 28002 is a side view showing an example of the tray storage 60A.

In the tray storage 60A, the shape of each storage position is defined according to the shape (especially the height) of the trays 610 and 620. A tray 610 is stored in each of the plurality of storage positions. As described above, the height of tray 620 is defined to be approximately twice the height of tray 610. Therefore, the tray storage 60A can store one tray 620 in two storage positions in the height direction (z-axis direction).

In the tray storage 60 of the first embodiment, the trays 600 can be inserted or removed from both sides of each storage position. In other words, the tray storage 60 is provided with two openings through which the tray 600 can be inserted or extracted, and in FIG. Extraction is possible. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 28, the tray storage 60A differs from the tray storage 60 in that it has only one opening 61A through which the tray 610 can be inserted or extracted. That is, the tray storage 60A is provided with a rear wall 63A connected to a side wall 62A.

In order for the user to be able to visually recognize the card holder 510A while the tray 610 is stored in the tray storage 60A, the tray 610 is stored in the tray storage 60A so that the card holder 510A faces the opening 61A. is required to be stored in Therefore, the tray 610 is transported from the tray dispensing device 50A to the tray storage 60A with the card holder 510A facing toward the tray dispensing device 50A (that is, facing toward the back of the tray dispensing device 50A). is required. In order to meet this demand, in the tray dispensing device 50A, a card information changing unit 100 that changes the display information of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A is provided on the back side of the tray dispensing device 50A.

As shown at 27002 in FIG. 27, a first tray conveyance mechanism 80A, a second tray conveyance mechanism 80B, and a third tray conveyance mechanism 80C are provided as the tray conveyance mechanisms 80 at the bottom of the tray dispensing device 50A. . 27002 in FIG. 27 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the bottom of the tray dispensing device 50A. The first tray transport mechanism 80A is provided at a first stop position Po21, the second tray transport mechanism 80B is provided at a second stop position Po22, and the third tray transport mechanism 80C is provided at a third stop position Po23.

The tray 610 is conveyed to the tray dispensing device 50A from the direction of the arrow in the figure. That is, the first stop position Po21 is the position where the tray 610 stops in the injection tablet printing device 40 (see FIG. 1) on the upstream side adjacent to the tray dispensing device 50A. The second stop position Po22 is a position where the tray 610 conveyed from the first stop position Po21 stops, and is a position facing the card attachment/detachment device 150 of the card information change unit 100. At the second stop position Po22, the rewrite card RC is inserted and removed by the card removal/removal device 150. The third stop position Po23 is a position where the tray 610 conveyed from the second stop position Po22 stops. The lifter device 300 transports the tray 610 that has been transported to the third stop position Po23 to the tray storage 60A inserted into the insertion opening 53.

The first tray transport mechanism 80A, the second tray transport mechanism 80B, and the third tray transport mechanism 80C are each independently controlled by a control device 400 (see FIG. 4). The control device 400 may control not only the tray dispensing device 50A but also each device or mechanism that constitutes the medicine dispensing system 1A.

Furthermore, a rotation mechanism 54 for changing the orientation of the tray 610 is provided at the bottom of the tray dispensing device 50A. As the rotation mechanism 54, a first rotation mechanism 54A is provided at a first stop position Po21, and a second rotation mechanism 54B is provided at a third stop position Po23. The control device 400 independently controls the first rotation mechanism 54A and the second rotation mechanism 54B. The rotation mechanism 54 rotates the tray 610 after lifting it so that the tray 610 does not collide with the tray transport mechanism 80 when rotating the tray 610.

The tray 610 is conveyed to the tray dispensing device 50A from the short side of the tray 610 (specifically, the side on which the card holder 510A is attached). The control device 400 controls the first rotation mechanism 54A so that the card holder 510A faces the direction of the card information changing unit 100 at the second stop position Po22, and the direction of the tray 610 stopped at the first stop position Po21. change.

The lifter device 300 transports the tray 610 to the tray storage 60A so that the card holder 510A faces the opening 61A when the tray 610 is stored in the tray storage 60A. Therefore, the lifter device 300 transports the tray 610 from the third stop position Po23 to the tray storage 60A while maintaining the orientation of the tray 610 changed at the first stop position Po21. That is, the lifter device 300 transports the tray 610 from the third stop position Po23 to the tray storage 60A without changing the orientation of the tray 610 at the third stop position Po23.

However, when transporting the tray 600 to the tray storage 60, for example, the lifter device 300 is configured so that the card holder 500 faces in front of the tray dispensing device 50A (this side of the tray dispensing device 50A, +y-axis direction shown in FIG. 27). Alternatively, the tray 600 may be transported. In this case, the user can check the display information of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 500 while the tray storage 60 is inserted into the insertion slot 53.

In this way, when the lifter device 300 transports the tray 600 so that the card holder 500 faces the front of the tray dispensing device 50A, the control device 400 rotates the second rotation mechanism 54B to transport the tray 600. Change the direction of 180 degrees. In other words, the second rotation mechanism 54B changes the direction of the tray 600 after changing the display information of the rewrite card RC at the second stop position Po22 so that the card holder 500 (that is, the rewrite card RC) faces the front of the tray dispensing device 50A. Change the direction.

Note that in the case of dispensing the tray 610 with the card holder 510A facing forward of the tray dispensing device 50A, the control device 400 may drive the second rotation mechanism 54B as described above.

Further, although the tray 610 is transported from the third stop position Po23 to the tray storage 60A, it may be transported to the tray storage 60A from the first stop position Po21 or the second stop position Po22. However, when transporting the tray 610 from the first stop position Po21 to the tray storage 60A, the tray transport mechanism 80 transports (returns) the tray 610 from the second stop position Po22 to the first stop position Po21. Therefore, the tray transport mechanism 80 cannot transport the subsequent tray 610 to the first stop position Po21 until the transport of the tray 610 to the tray storage 60A is completed. Furthermore, when transporting the tray 610 from the second stop position Po22 to the tray storage 60A, the tray transport mechanism 80 moves the subsequent tray to the second stop position Po22 until the tray 610 is completely transported to the tray storage 60A. 610 cannot be transported. Considering this point, it is preferable to transport the tray 610 from the third stop position Po23 to the tray storage 60A.

Furthermore, the tray transport mechanism 80 and rotation mechanism 54 provided at the bottom of the tray dispensing device 50A may be similarly provided in the tray dispensing device 50. However, in the tray dispensing device 50, the card information changing unit 100 is provided on the front side of the tray dispensing device 50. Therefore, the control device 400 controls the first rotation mechanism 54A to rotate the tray 600 so that the card holder 500 faces toward the front side of the tray dispensing device 50.

[Tray transport and tray storage control]
The lifter device 300 looks at the tray storage 60A inserted into the insertion port 53 from the tray dispensing device 50A side, and transports a plurality of trays 610 in order, for example, in any of the following (1) to (4). . Similarly in the first embodiment, the tray 600 may be transported to the tray storage 60. The transport mode of the tray 610 is set based on the convenience of each user.
(1) The lifter device 300 sequentially transports the trays 610 from the top to the bottom in the rightmost row, and then transports the trays 610 from the top to the bottom in the adjacent row (the center row in the example of FIG. 28). Transport in order. Thereafter, the lifter device 300 sequentially transports the trays 610 from the top to the bottom in the leftmost row.
(2) The lifter device 300 sequentially transports the trays 610 from the top to the bottom in the leftmost row, and then sequentially transports the trays 610 from the top to the bottom in the center row. Thereafter, the lifter device 300 sequentially transports the trays 610 from the top to the bottom in the rightmost row.
(3) The lifter device 300 sequentially transports the trays 610 from the rightmost row to the leftmost row on the uppermost stage, and then sequentially transports the trays 610 from the rightmost row to the leftmost row on the adjacent lower stage. The lifter device 300 repeats this conveyance and sequentially conveys the trays 610 to the lowest stage.
(4) The lifter device 300 sequentially transports the trays 610 from the leftmost row to the rightmost row on the uppermost stage, and then sequentially transports the trays 610 from the leftmost row to the rightmost row on the adjacent lower stage. The lifter device 300 repeats this conveyance and sequentially conveys the trays 610 to the lowest stage.

The present embodiment will be described assuming that the tray 610 is transported to the tray storage 60A in the above (3).

Here, when the tray storage 60A is attached to the tray dispensing device 50A, the bottom of the tray dispensing device 50A (the tray It is close to the transport mechanism 80). That is, the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A is located at a lower position than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60. Consider a case where, when conveying the tray 610 to any storage position at the bottom of the tray storage 60A, the tray 610 is placed on the tray conveyance mechanism 80 facing the storage position. In this case, the tray 610 to be transported collides with the tray 610 placed on the tray transport mechanism 80, and there is a possibility that the tray 610 to be transported cannot be stored at the storage position.

In this embodiment, when conveying the tray 610 to the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A, the control device 400 places the tray 610 at a position at the bottom of the tray dispensing device 50A, which is opposite to the storage position where the tray 610 is conveyed. The conveyance of the tray 610 is controlled so that the tray 610 is not placed thereon. The control device 400 includes a first tray conveyance mechanism 80A to a third tray conveyance mechanism 80C, a tray conveyance mechanism 80 provided in the injection tablet printing device 40 (herein, for convenience, referred to as a fourth tray conveyance mechanism 80D), and a lifter. The device 300 is controlled to realize the above-mentioned transport process. Thereby, even when using the tray storage 60A, the trays 610 can be safely transported to the tray storage 60A without the trays 610 colliding with each other. Further, there is no need to provide a separate device for safe transportation.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of transporting the tray 610 when the tray 610 is transported to a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A (normal transport). FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of transporting the tray 610 when the tray 610 is transported to a storage position (lowermost third position) opposite to the third stop position Po23 at the lowermost stage of the tray storage 60A. 31001 in FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of conveyance of the tray 610 when conveying the tray 610 to the storage position (lowest second position) opposite to the second stop position Po22 at the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A. be. 31002 in FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of conveyance of the tray 610 when conveying the tray 610 to the storage position (lowest first position) opposite to the first stop position Po21 at the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A. be.

Note that in these figures, in order to distinguish the trays 610 that are sequentially transported by the tray transport mechanism 80, the trays 610 are expressed as trays 610A to 610D and trays 610P to 610V for convenience. As a representative of FIGS. 29 to 31, the card information change unit 100 is displayed at S11 in FIG. For the first tray transport mechanism 80A to third tray transport mechanism 80C, first rotation mechanism 54A, and second rotation mechanism 54B, see 27002 in FIG. 27.

(Tray transport process during normal transport)
Referring to FIG. 29, the tray conveyance process when the tray 610B is conveyed following the tray 610A to a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A will be described.

As shown in FIG. 29, the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D and the first tray transport mechanism 80A transport the tray 610A from the injection tablet printing device 40 to the first stop position Po21 (S11). After that, at the first stop position Po21, the first rotation mechanism 54A changes the orientation of the tray 610A so that the card holder 510A faces the card information changing unit 100 (S12).

Thereafter, the first tray transport mechanism 80A and the second tray transport mechanism 80B transport the tray 610A from the first stop position Po21 to the second stop position Po22 (S13). At this time, the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D and the first tray transport mechanism 80A transport the tray 610B from the injection tablet printing device 40 to the first stop position Po21.

After that, at the second stop position Po22, the card information changing unit 100 changes the display information of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A of the tray 610A (S14). At this time, at the first stop position Po21, the first rotation mechanism 54A changes the direction of the tray 610B so that the card holder 510A faces the card information changing unit 100.

Thereafter, the second tray transport mechanism 80B and the third tray transport mechanism 80C transport the tray 610A from the second stop position Po22 to the third stop position Po23 (S15). At this time, the first tray transport mechanism 80A and the second tray transport mechanism 80B transport the tray 610B from the first stop position Po21 to the second stop position Po22. Further, the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D and the first tray transport mechanism 80A transport the tray 610C from the injection tablet printing device 40 to the first stop position Po21.

After that, the lifter device 300 starts transporting the tray 610A from the third stop position Po23 to a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A (S16). At this time, at the second stop position Po22, the card information changing unit 100 changes the display information of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A of the tray 610B. Furthermore, at the first stop position Po21, the first rotation mechanism 54A changes the orientation of the tray 610C so that the card holder 510A faces the card information changing unit 100.

Thereafter, while the lifter device 300 is storing the tray 610A at a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A, the second tray transport mechanism 80B and the third tray transport mechanism 80C move from the second stop position Po22 to the third stop. The tray 610B is transported to position Po23 (S17). During storage refers to the period after the lifter device 300 starts transporting the tray 610 to the tray storage 60A until the tray 610 is stored at the storage position. At this time, the first tray transport mechanism 80A and the second tray transport mechanism 80B transport the tray 610C from the first stop position Po21 to the second stop position Po22. Further, the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D and the first tray transport mechanism 80A transport the tray 610D from the injection tablet printing device 40 to the first stop position Po21.

After that, the lifter device 300 starts transporting the tray 610B from the third stop position Po23 to a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A (S18). At this time, at the second stop position Po22, the card information changing unit 100 changes the display information of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A of the tray 610C. Furthermore, at the first stop position Po21, the first rotation mechanism 54A changes the orientation of the tray 610D so that the card holder 510A faces the card information changing unit 100.

By repeating this process, the lifter device 300 sequentially transports each tray 610 that the tray transport mechanism 80 has transported to the third stop position Po23 to a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A.

(Tray conveyance process when storing in the bottom third position)
The tray conveyance process when the tray 610S is conveyed to the lowermost third position of the tray storage 60A facing the third stop position Po23 will be described with reference to FIG. 30. The process (S21 to S25) until the tray 610P, tray 610Q, and tray 610R are transported from the third stop position Po23 to a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A is the process of S16 to S18 shown in FIG. This is achieved by repeating the process.

In S26, while the lifter device 300 is storing the tray 610R at a storage position other than the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A, the second tray transport mechanism 80B and the third tray transport mechanism 80C move the tray 610R from the second stop position Po22 to the second tray transport mechanism 80C. 3. The tray 610S is transported to the stop position Po23. At this time, the first tray transport mechanism 80A and the second tray transport mechanism 80B transport the tray 610T from the first stop position Po21 to the second stop position Po22. Further, the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D and the first tray transport mechanism 80A transport the tray 610U from the injection tablet printing device 40 to the first stop position Po21.

After that, the lifter device 300 starts transporting the tray 610S from the third stop position Po23 to the third position at the lowest stage of the tray storage 60A (S27). At this time, at the second stop position Po22, the card information changing unit 100 changes the display information of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A of the tray 610T. Furthermore, at the first stop position Po21, the first rotation mechanism 54A changes the orientation of the tray 610U so that the card holder 510A faces the card information changing unit 100.

Thereafter, while the lifter device 300 is storing the tray 610S at the third lowermost position of the tray storage 60A, the first to fourth tray transport mechanisms 80A to 80D are not driven, and the trays 610T, 610U, and The tray 610V is then stopped (S28). Thereby, the lifter device 300 can transport and store the tray 610S to the lowermost third position of the tray storage 60A so that the tray 610S does not collide with the tray 610T at the third stop position Po23.

(Tray conveyance process when storing in the second bottom position)
Using 31001 in FIG. 31, the tray conveyance process when the tray 610S is conveyed to the second position at the bottom of the tray storage 60A opposite to the second stop position Po22 will be described.

After the process of S26 in FIG. 30, the lifter device 300 lifts the tray 610S at the third stop position Po23 (S31). The lifter device 300 lifts the tray 610S to a height (safety position) that does not collide with the tray 610T placed at the second stop position Po22. At this time, at the second stop position Po22, the card information changing unit 100 changes the display information of the rewrite card RC mounted on the card holder 510A of the tray 610T. Furthermore, at the first stop position Po21, the first rotation mechanism 54A changes the orientation of the tray 610U so that the card holder 510A faces the card information changing unit 100.

After that, the lifter device 300 transports the lifted tray 610S from the third stop position Po23 to the second stop position Po22 (S32). However, the lifter device 300 maintains the lifted state of the tray 610S and does not place the tray 610S at the second stop position Po22. At this time, the second tray transport mechanism 80B and the third tray transport mechanism 80C transport the tray 610T from the second stop position Po22 to the third stop position Po23. Further, during this conveyance, the first tray conveyance mechanism 80A and the second tray conveyance mechanism 80B are not driven, and the tray 610U is stopped as it is.

After that, the lifter device 300 starts transporting the tray 610S from the second stop position Po22 to the lowermost second position of the tray storage 60A (S33). While the tray 610S is being stored, the first to fourth tray transport mechanisms 80A to 80D are not driven, and the trays 610T, 610U, and 610V are stopped (S34).

In this way, when transporting the tray 610S to the second stop position Po22, the lifter device 300 moves the tray 610T from the second stop position Po22, and also moves the first tray transport mechanism 80A and the second tray transport mechanism 80B. stops the tray 610U as it is. Therefore, when the tray 610S is transported from the second stop position Po22 to the lowermost second position of the tray storage 60A and stored, it is possible to make a state in which the tray 610 stopped at the second stop position Po22 does not exist. . Therefore, the lifter device 300 can transport and store the tray 610S to the lowermost second position of the tray storage 60A so that the tray 610S does not collide with the following trays 610T and 610U.

(Tray conveyance process when storing in the first position of the bottom row)
Using 31002 in FIG. 31, the tray conveyance process when the tray 610S is conveyed to the first position at the bottom of the tray storage 60A opposite to the second stop position Po22 will be described.

After the process of S26 in FIG. 30, the lifter device 300 lifts the tray 610S at the third stop position Po23, similarly to S31 in FIG. 31 (S41). At this time, at the second stop position Po22, the card information changing unit 100 changes the display information of the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A of the tray 610T. Furthermore, at the first stop position Po21, the first rotation mechanism 54A changes the orientation of the tray 610U so that the card holder 510A faces the card information changing unit 100.

After that, the lifter device 300 transports the lifted tray 610S from the third stop position Po23 to the first stop position Po21 (S42). However, the lifter device 300 maintains the lifted state of the tray 610S and does not place the tray 610S at the first stop position Po21. At this time, the second tray transport mechanism 80B and the third tray transport mechanism 80C transport the tray 610T from the second stop position Po22 to the third stop position Po23. Further, the first tray transport mechanism 80A and the second tray transport mechanism 80B transport the tray 610U from the first stop position Po21 to the second stop position Po22. The fourth tray transport mechanism 80D is not driven and the tray 610V is stopped as it is.

Thereafter, the lifter device 300 starts transporting the tray 610S from the second stop position Po22 to the first position at the bottom of the tray storage 60A (S43). While the tray 610S is being stored, the first tray transport mechanism 80A to the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D are not driven, and the tray 610T, tray 610U, and tray 610V are stopped as they are (S44).

In this way, when transporting the tray 610S to the first stop position Po21, the lifter device 300 moves the tray 610T from the second stop position Po22 and moves the tray 610U from the first stop position Po21. Further, the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D stops the tray 610V as it is. Therefore, when the tray 610S is transported from the first stop position Po21 to the lowermost first position of the tray storage 60A and stored, it is possible to make a state in which the tray 610 stopped at the first stop position Po21 does not exist. . Therefore, the lifter device 300 can transport and store the tray 610S to the lowermost first position of the tray storage 60A so that the tray 610S does not collide with the following trays 610T, 610U, and 610V.

(Other processing)
In addition, when the control device 400 operates the medicine dispensing system 1A (at least when starting transport of the trays 610 to the tray storage 60A), the control device 400 causes the trays 610 to be placed in each of the lower two storage positions of the tray storage 60A. It may be determined whether or not the information is stored.

The first tray transport mechanism 80A to the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D transport the tray 610 toward the first stop position Po21 to the third stop position Po23, but do not transport the tray 610 in the opposite direction. Therefore, when the tray 610 is stopped at all of the first stop position Po21 to the third stop position Po23, the first tray transport mechanism 80A to the fourth tray transport mechanism 80D are stopped at the first stop position Po21 to the third stop position Po23. It becomes impossible to vacate any position of Po23. Therefore, when only the bottom row of the tray storage 60A is empty and the tray 610 is stopped at all of the first to third stop positions Po21 to Po23, the tray 610 is transported to the tray storage 60A. If the process is executed, the trays 610 will collide with each other.

By performing the above-described determination processing, when no storage position is vacant in the second stage from the bottom of the tray storage 60A, and when the bottom stage is vacant, the control device 400 performs the above-mentioned determination process. Transport processing to the lowest stage can be executed. Therefore, the possibility that the trays 610 will collide with each other can be reduced.

[Lock mechanism]
FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing an example of the locking mechanism 58. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the lock mechanism 58.

As shown in 27001 in FIG. 27 and 32001 in FIG. 32, the tray dispensing device 50A includes a locking mechanism 58. The locking mechanism 58 is a fixing member that temporarily fixes the tray storage 60A to the tray dispensing device 50A when the tray storage 60A is inserted into the insertion port 53. As shown at 27001 in FIG. 27, the locking mechanism 58 is provided in a part of the housing 51 of the tray dispensing device 50A that defines the insertion opening 53. The locking mechanism 58 is provided in the housing 51 at a position facing each of the two side walls 62A of the tray storage 60A.

The tray dispensing device 50 of the first embodiment is provided with a magnet as a fixing member that temporarily fixes the tray storage 60. Since the frame constituting the tray storage 60 is made of iron, the tray storage 60 is fixed to the tray dispensing device 50 with a magnet. On the other hand, since the frame constituting the tray storage 60A is made of aluminum, the tray storage 60A is not fixed to the tray dispensing device 50 with a magnet. Therefore, the tray dispensing device 50A is provided with a locking mechanism 58 that mechanically fixes the tray storage 60A.

The locking mechanism 58 includes a locking member 581, a cart detecting section 582, a roller 583, and a driving section 584, as shown at 32002 in FIG.

Two locking members 581 provided at opposing positions in the housing 51 fix the tray storage 60A inserted into the insertion port 53 by sandwiching the tray storage 60A from both sides. The lock member 581 can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the side wall 585 (in the direction of the arrow 33001 in FIG. 33) by the drive unit 584. The amount of protrusion of the lock member 581 from the side wall 585 is changed by driving by the drive unit 584.

The cart detection unit 582 detects the tray storage 60A that is inserted into the insertion port 53 and placed in a position where the tray dispensing device 50A can transport the tray 610. In other words, the cart detection unit 582 detects the tray storage 60A placed at a position where it is held by the two rollers 583.

When the cart detection unit 582 is not detecting the tray storage 60A (the tray storage 60A is not inserted into the insertion slot 53), the locking member 581 has a protruding amount, as shown at 33001 in FIG. It is stopped at the minimum protrusion position.

When the cart detection unit 582 detects the tray storage 60A, as shown at 33002 in FIG. 33, the drive unit 584 moves the locking member from the minimum protrusion position to the maximum protrusion position where the amount of protrusion is maximum (in the direction of the arrow). 581 is moved and stopped at the maximum protrusion position. At the maximum protrusion position, the locking member 581 presses down the side wall 62A of the tray storage 60A. Each of the two locking members 581 sandwiches and fixes the tray storage 60A by pressing down the side wall 62A of the tray storage 60A. Thereby, the tray storage 60A can be fixed to the tray dispensing device 50A while the tray 610 is being transported to the tray storage 60A.

When the conveyance of the tray 610 to the tray storage 60A is completed, the control device 400 displays a cart exchange message (described later) on the touch panel 70 (see FIG. 1) and releases the fixation (lock) by the locking member 581. do. That is, at this time, the drive unit 584 moves the locking member 581 from the maximum protrusion position to the minimum protrusion position.

The roller 583 contacts the tray storage 60A inserted into the insertion port 53 and rotates as the tray storage 60A is inserted into or removed from the insertion port 53. Two rollers 583 provided at opposing positions in the housing 51 hold the tray storage 60A inserted into the insertion opening 53 by sandwiching the tray storage 60A from both sides.

In order to realize this pinching, the roller 583 is connected to a biasing member (eg, a spring). The connection relationship between the roller 583 and the biasing member is the same as the connection relationship between the roller 593 and the biasing member 591 in FIG. 35. When the tray storage 60A is inserted into the insertion slot 53, the roller 583 presses the side wall 62A of the tray storage 60A by the urging force of the urging member. That is, the two rollers 583 are urged by the urging member and function as a cart holding section that presses and holds the side wall 62A of the tray storage 60A.

The roller 583 assists the locking member 581 in fixing the tray storage 60A. The rollers 583 hold the tray storage 60A inserted into the insertion port 53 until the tray storage 60A is fixed by the locking member 581. This can reduce the possibility that the tray storage 60A will start moving due to the inclination of the floor or the like. Therefore, after using the tray storage 60A as the insertion port 53, the user can release the tray storage 60A without waiting for the locking member 581 to fix the tray storage 60A. Furthermore, the rollers 583 hold the tray storage 60A until the fixation by the lock member 581 is released and the tray storage 60A is moved by the user. This can reduce the possibility that the tray storage 60A will start moving due to the inclination of the floor or the like. Therefore, the user does not need to grip the tray storage 60A before or immediately after the fixation by the locking member 581 is released.

<Modified example>
FIG. 34 is a diagram showing an example of a lock mechanism 58A that is a modification of the lock mechanism 58. 34001 in FIG. 34 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism 58A, and 34002 is a front view of the locking mechanism 58A. FIG. 35 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the locking mechanism 58A. 35001 in FIG. 35 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the locking mechanism 58A when the tray storage 60A is inserted into the insertion slot 53. 35002 in FIG. 35 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the locking mechanism 58A when the tray storage 60A is pulled out from the insertion port 53.

As shown in FIG. 34, the locking mechanism 58A includes a cart detection section 582 and a roller 593. The lock mechanism 58A differs from the lock mechanism 58 in that it does not include the lock member 581 and includes a roller 593 instead of the roller 583. In the locking mechanism 58A, the roller 593 realizes the function of the locking member 581.

As shown in FIG. 35, the lock mechanism 58A includes a biasing member 591, a ratchet mechanism 592, a roller 593, a drive section 594, and a shaft section 595.

The biasing member 591 is connected to the roller 593, and as described above, is biased against the roller 593 so that the roller 593 can press down the tray storage 60A in response to insertion and removal of the tray storage 60A in the insertion port 53. to apply a biasing force. As shown at 35001 in FIG. 35, when the tray storage 60A is inserted into the insertion port 53, the roller 593 presses down the side wall 62A of the tray storage 60A due to the urging force of the urging member 591.

The ratchet mechanism 592 is connected to the roller 593 and restricts the rotation direction of the roller 593 to one direction. The ratchet mechanism 592 includes a gear 592A and a pawl 592B. The gear 592A is provided on the rotating shaft of the roller 593. The pawl 592B restricts the rotation direction of the gear 592A to one direction.

The drive section 594 rotates the pawl 592B around the shaft section 595. This makes it possible to switch between a state where the pawl 592B is hooked on the gear 592A and the ratchet mechanism 592 functions, and a state where the pawl 592B is separated from the gear 592A and the ratchet mechanism 592 is not functional.

As shown at 35001 in FIG. 35, when the tray storage 60A is inserted into the insertion port 53, the drive unit 594 separates the pawl 592B from the gear 592A, so that the ratchet mechanism 592 does not function. In this case, roller 593, like roller 583, can rotate freely. Therefore, the user can smoothly insert the tray storage 60A into the insertion slot 53. After the tray storage 60A is inserted into the insertion opening 53, the tray storage 60A can be held so as not to move by pressing the side wall 62A of the tray storage 60A by the rollers 593.

When the cart detection unit 582 detects the tray storage 60A, the drive unit 594 causes the ratchet mechanism 592 to function by hooking the pawl 592B to the gear 592A, as shown at 35002 in FIG. Thereby, the rotational direction of the roller 593 is restricted to one direction (the insertion direction of the tray storage 60A). Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the tray storage 60A will move in the opposite direction and come off the insertion port 53 while the tray 610 is being transported to the tray storage 60A.

When the transfer of the tray 610 to the tray storage 60A is completed, the control device 400 displays a cart exchange message (described later) on the touch panel 70, and releases the function of the ratchet mechanism 592 by separating the pawl 592B from the gear 592A. do. This allows roller 593 to rotate freely. Therefore, the user can smoothly pull out the tray storage 60A from the insertion opening 53. Note that the function of the ratchet mechanism 592 may be canceled by accepting user input.

Note that when the user pulls out the tray storage 60A from the insertion opening 53 with a force above a certain level while the ratchet mechanism 592 is functioning, the function of the ratchet mechanism 592 can be disabled. That is, in this case, even if the ratchet mechanism 592 is functioning, the tray storage 60A can be pulled out from the insertion opening 53. This function is effective, for example, in an emergency.

[Control in case of error]
For example, if an error occurs inside the tray dispensing device 50A, the control device 400 stops driving the tray transport mechanism 80, the card information changing unit 100, and the lifter device 300. Furthermore, the control device 400 notifies the user via the touch panel 70 that an error has occurred. Upon receiving this notification, the user checks the inside of the tray dispensing device 50A.

For example, if the tray 610 becomes jammed due to rotation of the tray 610 at the third stop position Po23, the user takes out the tray 610 and then places it on the tray transport mechanism 80 again. At this time, the user may change the orientation of the tray 610 and place the tray 610 thereon. When the tray 610 is placed at the third stop position Po23 with the orientation of the tray 610 changed, the lifter device 300 changes the orientation of the card holder 510A at the transport destination of the tray 610 (for example, the tray storage 60A). cannot be placed so that it faces the specified direction. Furthermore, the lifter device 300 may not be able to grip the tray 610.

In this embodiment, as shown at 27002 in FIG. 27, the first tray detection unit 55 is provided at the third stop position Po23 on the side wall that defines the transport path of the tray 610 at the bottom of the tray dispensing device 50A. ing. The first tray detection section 55 is provided on the side wall on the side where the card information change unit 100 is provided. The first tray detection unit 55 detects the rewrite card RC attached to the card holder 510A when the tray 610 is placed at the third stop position Po23.

That is, the first tray detection unit 55 cannot detect the rewrite card RC when the card holder 510A does not face the card information changing unit 100 side. Therefore, by providing the first tray detection section 55, the control device 400 can determine whether the orientation of the tray 610 is appropriate. Therefore, when the user reloads the tray 610 at the third stop position Po23 and the card holder 510A does not face the card information changing unit 100, the control device 400 reloads the tray 610. You can notify the user to relocate it.

Further, in this embodiment, when the user takes out the tray 610 and then places it on the tray transport mechanism 80 again, the tray transport mechanism 80 moves the tray 610 from the third stop position Po23 to the second stop position Po22. Move it a predetermined distance (for example, about several centimeters) to the opposite side. Thereafter, the tray transport mechanism 80 executes a process of returning to the third stop position Po23. By executing this process, the control device 400 can determine whether the tray 610 is placed at the third stop position Po23 substantially parallel to the side wall and the tray transport mechanism 80. A state in which the tray 610 is placed approximately parallel to the side wall and the tray transport mechanism 80 is a state in which the tray 610 is properly placed.

In order to execute this determination process, as shown at 27002 in FIG. 27, a second tray detection section 56 is provided on the side wall at a position at the third stop position Po23. The second tray detection unit 56 can detect the tray 610 at the third stop position Po23, but is provided at a position where the tray 610 cannot be detected when the tray 610 has been moved a predetermined distance.

When the tray 610 is properly placed, when the tray transport mechanism 80 moves the tray 610 placed at the third stop position Po23 a predetermined distance, the tray 610 moves along the side wall. In this case, the second tray detection section 56 cannot detect the tray 610. Therefore, when the second tray detection unit 56 is no longer able to detect the tray 610, the control device 400 can determine that the tray 610 is properly placed.

On the other hand, if the tray 610 is not placed properly, even if the tray conveyance mechanism 80 moves the tray 610 placed at the third stop position Po23 by a predetermined distance, the tray 610 will not be properly placed. It gets caught on the side wall and comes to rest in a tilted position. In this case, the second tray detection section 56 continues to detect the tray 610. Therefore, if the second tray detection unit 56 continues to detect the tray 610 after moving the predetermined distance, the control device 400 can determine that the tray 610 is not properly placed.

Further, a light emitting device (not shown) is provided on the card information changing unit 100 (eg, on the top surface of the card attachment/detachment device 150). When an error occurs, the control device 400 stops driving the card information changing unit 100 and turns on the light emitting device. Thereby, the user can recognize that it is safe to touch the card information changing unit 100.

Furthermore, an object detection section 57 is provided above the insertion port 53. The object detection unit 57 detects the tray 610 that has protruded from the opening 61A of the tray storage 60A while the tray storage 60A is inserted into the insertion port 53. This can reduce the possibility that the tray 610 being transported to the tray storage 60A will collide with the tray 610 that has jumped out from the opening 61A.

When an error occurs, the object detection unit 57 functions as a sensor that detects the entry of an object into the tray dispensing device 50A from the insertion port 53. When an error occurs, each part of the tray dispensing device 50A stops, so even if the user enters the tray dispensing device 50A, the user's safety can be ensured. However, when the error is cleared, each part of the tray dispensing device 50A starts driving. At this time, if the drive of the tray dispensing device 50A is started while the user remains inside the tray dispensing device 50A, the user will be exposed to danger.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, if the object detection section 57 detects the entry of the object during an error occurrence, the control device 400 does not drive each section included in the tray dispensing device 50A. Therefore, user safety can be ensured.

Note that the tray dispensing device 50A may be provided with a sound output device, and the control device 400 may cause the sound output device to output sound when an error occurs and when the error is cleared.

[Cart exchange notification control]
Examples of the timing at which the control device 400 displays the cart exchange message include the following timings. The cart exchange message is a message for prompting the user to exchange the tray storage 60A inserted into the insertion slot 53. (1) When the ward to which the next tray 610 to be dispensed is carried is different from the ward to which the tray 610 to be dispensed previously is carried. However, if a temporary tray 610 is dispensed by interrupting the dispensing of the tray 610 based on the prescription data, the cart exchange message is not displayed. (2) When the tray storage 60A is full.

In this embodiment, when the lifter device 300 stores all the trays 610 to be transported to each of a plurality of wards in one tray storage 60A, the touch panel control unit 470 displays a cart exchange message on the touch panel 70. It doesn't matter if you don't have it.

When the cart exchange message is displayed, the lifter device 300 stops transporting the tray 610 to the tray storage 60A. Unless the user performs a user input on the touch panel 70 to execute the dispensing of the tray 610 to the tray storage 60A, the lifter device 300 does not execute the dispensing operation of the tray 610 again. Even if the trays 610 are transported to different wards, if the trays 610 are stored in one tray storage 60A, there is no need to replace the tray storage 60A. Therefore, as described above, by not displaying the cart exchange message in this case, the lifter device 300 can continue transporting the tray 610 without stopping it. Therefore, the processing time related to the transport can be shortened.

On the other hand, consider a case where the lifter device 300 determines that all of the trays 610 to be transported to the B ward cannot be stored in the tray storage 60A, which stores the trays 610 to be transported to the A ward, for example. In this case, the control device 400 displays a cart exchange message on the touch panel 70 when all the trays 610 to be transported to the A ward are stored in the tray storage 60A. Thereby, the user can insert into the insertion port 53 another tray storage 60A that stores the tray 610 to be transported to the B ward. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the trays 610 transported to the B ward are stored in separate tray storages 60A.

Note that the number of trays 610 to be transported to each ward is calculated based on prescription data. Therefore, the lifter device 300 can determine whether or not the trays 610 to be transported to a plurality of wards can be stored in one tray storage 60A. The number of trays 610 may be calculated, for example, by the control device 400 or a host system of the control device 400.

[Tray supply device]
As shown in FIG. 1, the tray supply device 10 holds trays 610 (trays 600 in FIG. 1) in a stacked state. In the tray supply device 10, only the lowest tray 610 is placed on a tray conveyance mechanism 80 (see FIG. 27) that conveys the tray 610 to each device. When the tray transport mechanism 80 transports the tray 610 to the label printing device 20 , the tray supply device 10 places the lowest tray 610 of the stacked and held trays 610 on the tray transport mechanism 80 .

When using the trays 600 of the first embodiment, all the trays 600 are required to be stacked so that the surfaces of the trays 600 on which the card holders 500 are provided face the same direction. When the trays 600 are stacked so that the above surfaces face in the same direction, the trays 600 can be stacked stably so that the opening surfaces of the trays 600 (the upper surfaces on which drugs are stored or taken out) are approximately parallel, as shown in FIG. Can be stacked. In other words, the trays 600 cannot be stably stacked unless they are stacked so that the above surfaces face in the same direction.

All the trays 600 are set in the tray supply device 10 in a stacked state with the above-mentioned surfaces facing the label printing device 20 side. However, in order for the control device 400 to determine whether or not the tray 600 is set in this state, the tray supply device 10 has a position where the tray 600 placed on the tray transport mechanism 80 faces the card holder 500. A holder detection section (not shown) is provided in the holder.

The holder detection unit is a sensor that detects the card holder 500 of the tray 600 placed on the tray transport mechanism 80. The holder detection unit can detect the card holder 500 only when the card holder 500 of the tray 600 placed on the tray transport mechanism 80 is facing the label printing device 20 side. Therefore, if the tray 600 is placed on the tray transport mechanism 80 so that the card holder 500 faces away from the label printing device 20, the control device 400 can notify the user to remove the tray 600. .

As described above, when using the trays 600, all the trays 600 are set in the tray supply device 10 in a stacked state such that the side on which the card holder 500 is provided faces the label printing device 20 side. Ru. Therefore, only when the tray supply device 10 first places the tray 600 on the tray transport mechanism 80 (when the lowest tray 600 is placed), the holder detection unit detects the card holder 500 of the tray 600. All you have to do is execute.

On the other hand, when the trays 610 of this embodiment are used, the trays 610 can be stably stacked without stacking the trays 610 so that the surfaces on which the card holders 510A are provided face the same direction. Therefore, not all of the card holders 510A of the trays 610 stacked in the tray supply device 10 face the label printing device 20 side. For example, even if the lowest tray 610 faces the label printing device 20 side, there is a possibility that the card holder 510A in the uppermost tray 610 faces the opposite side from the label printing device 20. Therefore, when the above-described detection operation is performed only on the lowest tray 610, even if there is a tray 610 with the card holder 510A facing the opposite side of the label printing device 20, the tray 610 will be detected. Can not. In this case, the user cannot be notified that the card holder 510A is facing away from the label printing device 20 until an error occurs that the card removal device 150 of the card information change unit 100 cannot remove the rewrite card RC. . Since the error notification is issued after the medicine has been stored in the tray 610, it takes time for the medicine dispensing system 1A to return to operation.

In this embodiment, when using the tray 610, the holder detection unit performs the detection operation of the card holder 510A every time the tray supply device 10 places the tray 610 on the tray transport mechanism 80 (that is, one tray at a time). do. If the holder detection unit fails to detect the card holder 510A, the control device 400 notifies the user to remove the tray 610. Therefore, before the tray 610 is transported by the tray transport mechanism 80, it is possible to notify the user that the card holder 510A is facing away from the label printing device 20. Therefore, since there is no need to issue an error notification after storing the medicine in the tray 610, the operation of the medicine dispensing system 1A can be restored in a short time.

Note that even when using the tray 600, the holder detection section may perform the detection operation one tray at a time. When a tray 600 with the card holder 500 facing the label printing device 20 is set in the tray supply device 10, the tray detection unit can detect the tray 600.

[Example of implementation using software]
The control blocks of the control device 400 (particularly the lifter control section 410, movement control section 420, solenoid valve control section 430, card presence/absence determination section 440, card conveyance control section 450, display change control section 460, and touch panel control section 470) are integrated. It may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in a circuit (IC chip) or the like, or it may be realized by software.

In the latter case, the control device 400 includes a computer that executes instructions of a program that is software that implements each function. This computer includes, for example, one or more processors and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the above program. In the computer, the processor reads the program from the recording medium and executes the program, thereby achieving the object of the present invention. As the processor, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used. As the recording medium, in addition to "non-temporary tangible media" such as ROM (Read Only Memory), tapes, disks, cards, semiconductor memories, programmable logic circuits, etc. can be used. Further, the computer may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the above program. Furthermore, the program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (communication network, broadcast waves, etc.) that can transmit the program. Note that one aspect of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Additional notes]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

60, 60A Tray storage 150 Card attachment/detachment device (card loading device)
151 Card adsorption section 152, 153 Guide section (bending mechanism)
154, 155 Roller 156, 157 O-ring (shock mitigation member)
161 Support part (bending mechanism)
162, 163 Support shaft (flexure mechanism)
164, 165 Spring (expandable member)
173 Z-axis motor (insertion operation part)
174 θ-axis motor (swivel section, card moving section)
200 Card transport device 210 Card placement section (card holding section, second card holding section)
211 Opening (area)
212 Bottom 213, 214 Side wall 250 Display changing device 300 Lifter device (tray conveying device)
301 Tray transport section 500 to 504, 510, 510A Card holder (card holding section, first card holding section)
511, 561 Outer edge 512, 521, 531, 562 Bottom 514, 533, 564 Claw 516 Ventilation hole 515, 523, 551 Card guide 517 Opening 561t Upper wall (side wall)
563 Card installation area (area)
565 Card support section 566 Notch section 600, 610, 620 Tray RC rewrite card (card)
RCc corner Po11 1st position Po12 2nd position

Claims (24)

A card mounting device for mounting a flexible card into a card holding portion having a gap into which a part of the outer edge of the card is inserted while holding the card,
a card adsorption unit that adsorbs the card from the front side;
a deflection mechanism that deflects the card adsorbed by the card adsorption section;
an insertion operation unit that inserts the outer edge portion into the gap by moving the card bent by the bending mechanism in a first direction from the front side of the card holding unit toward the card holding unit; ,
In a state in which the bending mechanism is bending the card that has been sucked by the card suction unit, and in a state in which the bending mechanism is in contact with the card holding unit via the card, the insertion operation unit moves the card suction The card mounting device inserts the outer edge portion into the gap by moving the outer edge portion in the first direction with the card adsorbed. The bending mechanism is provided on both sides of the card in the surface direction of the card with respect to the card suction part, and includes a pair of guide parts that function as fulcrums when the card suctioned by the card suction part is bent. The card mounting device according to claim 1. The card mounting device according to claim 2, wherein the insertion operation section moves the pair of guide sections together with the card suction section in the first direction. The insertion operation section causes the card suction section and the pair of guide sections to bend by the card suction section and the pair of guide sections by moving the card suction section and the pair of guide sections closer to the card holding section along the first direction. The card mounting device according to claim 3, wherein the card held in this state is pushed into the card holding section. 5. The card mounting device according to claim 3, wherein a support shaft that supports each of the pair of guide parts is provided with an expandable member that expands and contracts as each of the pair of guide parts moves. 6. The card mounting device according to claim 3, wherein each of the pair of guide parts includes a roller that assists movement of the card at least in the first direction by rotation. The card holding unit is a second card holding unit provided in a card transporting device that transports the card to a display changing device that changes display information of the card,
The card according to claim 6, wherein the roller assists movement of the card in a direction in which the card is transported by the card transporting device by having the outer edge portion contact the card inserted into the gap. Mounting device. Any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein each of the pair of guide parts includes, on at least a part of a contact surface with the card, a shock-reducing member that reduces the impact when the card comes into contact with the guide parts. The card loading device described in . The card holding unit is (1) a first card holding unit provided on a side surface of a tray that accommodates medicine, or (2) a card transport unit that transports the card to a display changing device that changes display information on the card. a second card holding section provided in the device;
The card suction part and the pair of guide parts include a turning part that rotates the card suction part and the pair of guide parts so that the card suction part and the pair of guide parts face each of the first card holding part and the second card holding part. The card mounting device according to any one of claims 3 to 8. The first card holder is located in a horizontal direction of the card mounting device,
The card mounting device according to claim 9, wherein the second card holding section is arranged in a vertical direction of the card mounting device. The card holding section is a first card holding section provided on a side surface of a tray that accommodates the medicine,
comprising a card detection unit that detects whether the card is held in the first card holding unit;
The card detection unit is configured to cause the first card holding unit to detect the card whose display information has been changed while the display information of the card is being changed by a display change device that changes the display information of the card. The card mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the card mounting device performs an operation of detecting whether or not a different card is held. The card holding unit is a second card holding unit provided in a card transporting device that transports the card to a display changing device that changes display information of the card,
A side wall of the second card holder defines an area in which the card is mounted,
When the second card holder is viewed from above, the corner of the area is at the end of the area, and the card extends when the card is mounted from the front of the second card holder while being bent. The card mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the card mounting device is formed such that the width in the direction perpendicular to the direction is made shorter in the direction. When the card holder is viewed from above, the card holder is brought into contact with the card holder at a second position shifted from the first position where the card is attached to the card holder, and is bent by the bending mechanism. The card mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a card moving section that moves the card from the second position to the first position. A card attachment/detachment device which has a function realized by the card attachment device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and which extracts the card held in the card holding section,
The insertion operation unit has a function of removing the outer edge portion from the gap by moving the card bent by the bending mechanism in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. Detachment device. The bending mechanism is provided on both sides of the card in the surface direction of the card with respect to the card suction part, and includes a pair of guide parts that function as fulcrums when the card suctioned by the card suction part is bent.
The insertion operation section moves the pair of guide sections together with the card suction section in the first direction or the second direction,
The insertion operation section further includes:
By bringing the card suction part and the pair of guide parts close to the card holding part along the first direction, the card held by the card holding part is attracted by the card suction part,
15. The card is bent by moving the card suction part in the second direction relative to the pair of guide parts while the card suction part is suctioning the card. card removal device. A card holder that is provided on the side of a tray that accommodates drugs and holds a flexible card,
A pair of claws are provided at opposing portions of the outer edge of the card holder,
The pair of claw portions protrude along the deformation direction of the card when the card is pulled out from the front of the card holder while being bent, or when the card is attached from the front of the card holder while being bent. and
When a corner of the card pressed against the card holder in a bent state and shifted in a direction different from the deformation direction of the card comes into contact with the outer edge, the A card holder provided with a card guide portion that guides a corner portion of the card to the pair of claw portions . The card is removed from the card holder by suction,
The card holder according to claim 16, wherein the bottom of the card holder is provided with a ventilation hole. The card guide section is
a part of the outer edge defining an area in which the card is mounted;
When the card holder is viewed from above, at the end of the area, the width in the direction perpendicular to the direction is set in the direction in which the card extends when the card is bent and installed from the front of the card holder. The card holder according to claim 16 or 17 , wherein the card holder is provided at a corner of the area so as to be shortened. The card holder according to claim 17 , wherein the card guide section is inclined from a part of the outer edge toward a region of the bottom of the card holder that faces each of the pair of claw sections. . The card holder according to any one of claims 16 to 19 , wherein an opening is provided in a bottom portion of the card holder at least in a region facing the pair of claws. 21. A card holder according to any one of claims 16 to 20 , wherein the bottom of the card holder is flat. 21. The card holder according to claim 16, wherein a region of the bottom of the card holder that faces at least the pair of claws is lower than other regions of the bottom. the outer edge defines an area in which the card is mounted;
The card is attached to the card holder by coming into contact with the card holder from the front side of the card holder at a position shifted from the area, and then moving to the area,
The card holder according to any one of claims 16 to 22 , wherein notches are formed on both sides of the side wall of the outer edge on the side where the card comes into contact with the card holder. The pair of claw portions extend along each of two sides defining the area,
The card holder according to claim 23 , wherein a card support part that supports the card is provided at an end of each of the pair of claw parts on the opposite side from the side where the card comes into contact with the card holder. .

Images