Medication Container and Medication Dispensing Apparatus

Abstract

A medication container and a medication dispensing apparatus are provided for allowing medications to smoothly fall from a medication discharge opening.

1 . A medication container, comprising:
 a container body having a bottom wall section and a medication holding section disposed on an upper surface of the bottom wall section,
 the medication holding section having a cylindrical body rising from the upper surface of the bottom wall section, the cylindrical body being configured to allow a rotor to be disposed radially inside, and the rotor being rotatable about a vertical axis, 
 the rotor having a medication holding passage formed vertically by recessing a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotor radially inward; 
 the bottom wall section having a medication discharge opening formed in a portion of the bottom wall section to allow medications to fall to be discharged through the medication discharge opening, and 
 the rotor rotating to cause the medication holding passage and the medication discharge opening to vertically face each other to allow medications held in the medication holding passage to pass through the medication discharge opening to fall therefrom, wherein 
 a wall in a radially outward area of the medication discharge opening, at least at its lower end, is positioned radially outward of a meeting position where an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body meets the upper surface of the bottom wall section. 
   
     
     
         2 . The medication container according to  claim 1 , wherein a radially outer portion of the medication discharge opening is positioned radially outward of the outer surface of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         3 . The medication container according to  claim 1 , wherein a cutout is formed at a lower end of the cylindrical body to be recessed upward to be continuous with the medication discharge opening. 
     
     
         4 . The medication container according to  claim 3 , wherein an upper surface of the cutout is positioned higher than the upper surface of the bottom wall section. 
     
     
         5 . The medication container according to  claim 4 , wherein a cover is provided for covering the medication discharge opening and the cutout from radially outside of the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         6 . The medication container according to  claim 3 , wherein an upper surface of the cutout is an uneven surface in which recesses and projections are alternately formed. 
     
     
         7 . The medication container according to  claim 1 , wherein the medication discharge opening is formed to have a substantially rectangular shape as viewed in plan, and an outer wall as a radially outward wall of the medication discharge opening and an inner wall at a radially inward portion face each other in the radially inward and outward direction. 
     
     
         8 . A medication dispensing apparatus including the medication container according to  claim 1  in an attachable and detachable manner.