Medicine Dispensing and Packing Apparatus

Abstract

Provided is a medicine dispensing and packing apparatus including a sheet feeding apparatus, a medicine putting unit, a sealing apparatus, and a control unit. The control unit controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to pack medicine. A plurality of packets formed by the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus include a plurality of medicine-containing packets and a plurality of empty packets in which the medicine is not packed. The control unit controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to: form the plurality of empty packets upstream of the plurality of medicine-containing packets in the feeding direction; and form at least one empty packet of the plurality of empty packets such that the lengthwise size thereof is smaller than that of each of the plurality of medicine-containing packets.

1 . A medicine dispensing and packing apparatus comprising:
 a sheet feeding apparatus that feeds an elongated packing sheet in a lengthwise direction thereof, the packing sheet having an open end formed in the lengthwise direction;   a medicine putting unit including a medicine putting port that is located in a space in the packing sheet through the open end, the medicine putting unit putting medicine into the space in the packing sheet from the medicine putting port;   a sealing apparatus that seals the packing sheet; and   a control unit that controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to form a plurality of individually divided packets, wherein   the plurality of packets include a plurality of medicine-containing packets and a plurality of empty packets in which the medicine is not packed,   the control unit controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to: sequentially pack the medicine by sealing the packing sheet in which the medicine is put by the medicine putting unit; and thereby form the plurality of medicine-containing packets, and   the control unit further controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to: form the plurality of empty packets upstream of the plurality of medicine-containing packets in the packing sheet in a feeding direction of the packing sheet; and form at least one empty packet of the plurality of empty packets such that a lengthwise size thereof is smaller than that of each of the plurality of medicine-containing packets.   
     
     
         2 . The medicine dispensing and packing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to form the at least one empty packet adjacently to and further upstream of a medicine-containing packet in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, the medicine-containing packet being formed on the most upstream side in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, of the plurality of medicine-containing packets. 
     
     
         3 . The medicine dispensing and packing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a perforation line forming unit that forms a perforation line in the packing sheet in a widthwise direction thereof; and   a cut-off blade unit that is used by a user of the medicine dispensing and packing apparatus to cut off the plurality of medicine-containing packets downstream of the sealing apparatus in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, wherein   the control unit controls the perforation line forming unit to form the perforation line such that the perforation line matches in position with a sealed portion that extends in the widthwise direction on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the at least one empty packet in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, and   the control unit further controls the sheet feeding apparatus such that one of the formed perforation lines stops so as to match in position with the cut-off blade unit.   
     
     
         4 . The medicine dispensing and packing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a perforation line forming unit that forms a perforation line in the packing sheet in a widthwise direction thereof; and   a cut-off blade unit that is used by a user of the medicine dispensing and packing apparatus to cut off the plurality of medicine-containing packets downstream of the sealing apparatus in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, wherein   the control unit controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to variably adjust a seal interval in the lengthwise direction of the packing sheet,   the control unit further controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the perforation line forming unit to form the perforation line further upstream of a medicine-containing packet in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, the medicine-containing packet being formed on the most upstream side in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, of the plurality of medicine-containing packets, and   the control unit further controls the sheet feeding apparatus such that one of the formed perforation lines stops so as to match in position with the cut-off blade unit, regardless of a lengthwise size of each of the plurality of medicine-containing packets.   
     
     
         5 . The medicine dispensing and packing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a perforation line forming unit that forms a perforation line in the packing sheet in a widthwise direction thereof; and   a cut-off blade unit that is used by a user of the medicine dispensing and packing apparatus to cut off the plurality of medicine-containing packets downstream of the sealing apparatus in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, wherein   the control unit controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the sealing apparatus to variably adjust a seal interval in the lengthwise direction of the packing sheet,   the control unit further controls the sheet feeding apparatus and the perforation line forming unit to form the perforation line further upstream of a medicine-containing packet in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, the medicine-containing packet being formed on the most upstream side in the feeding direction of the packing sheet, of the plurality of medicine-containing packets, and   the control unit further controls the sheet feeding apparatus such that one of the formed perforation lines stops so as to match in position with the cut-off blade unit, regardless of a lengthwise size of each of the plurality of medicine-containing packets.