Method and apparatus for driving slide racks of tablet automatic packing machine

Abstract

A method and apparatus for driving slide racks of a tablet automatic packing machine are disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of slide racks appeared as doors are opened inside of a main body and a plurality of tablet cassettes installed in the doors and the plurality of slide racks. The apparatus is operated such that, when tablets are exhausted in tablet cassettes installed in the slide rack, the slide rack is automatically withdrawn by operations of a remote control device. The method and apparatus can prevent unnecessary operations of a motor such that, when tablets are exhausted in a tablet cassette, only a sector including the empty tablet cassette can be withdrawn under control of the control unit, in which the sector is one of a plurality of sectors included in one of a plurality of slide racks, thereby easily confirming a corresponding tablet cassette.

1 . A method for driving slide racks of a tablet automatic packing machine comprising the steps of: 
 confirming tablet cassette identification numbers of tablet cassettes in which tablets are exhausted, empty tablet cassette identification numbers, in a control unit and displaying the empty tablet cassette identification numbers on a display;    inputting tablet cassette identification number from the outside to the control unit;    deducing a sector based on confirmation of whether there is a corresponding tablet cassette identification number in the control unit, in which the sector is in one of a plurality of sectors previously allocated in one of a plurality of slide racks in the control unit; and    withdrawing a slide rack corresponding to the deduced sector including the empty tablet cassette corresponding to the corresponding empty tablet cassette identification number as a motor drives the deduced sector.    
   
   
       2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 returning a door and the slide rack to their original positions according to a return signal.    
   
   
       3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 performing power ON/OFF operations for supplying/breaking power to a tablet automatic packing machine including a door and the slide rack according to power ON/OFF signals inputted from the outside.    
   
   
       4 . The method as set forth in  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 dividing each slide rack into a plurality of sectors; and    inputting tablet cassette identification numbers into the control unit, wherein the tablet cassette identification numbers correspond to tablet cassettes included in each sector, respectively.    
   
   
       5 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 stopping drive operations of the door and the slide racks according to an emergency stop signal inputted from the outside.    
   
   
       6 . An apparatus for driving slide racks of a tablet automatic packing machine including doors installed on the front thereof and a plurality of slide racks each of which includes a plurality of tablet cassettes inside a main body thereof, the apparatus comprising: 
 a control unit for storing tablet cassette identification numbers included in one of a plurality of sectors, wherein each of the plurality of slide racks is divided into the plurality of sectors;    an inputting unit for inputting empty tablet cassette identification numbers into the control unit;    a driving unit for inserting/ejecting a slide rack and for opening/closing the door, which includes the tablet cassette corresponding to the tablet cassette identification number inputted by the inputting unit in the control unit; and    a sensing unit for sensing and inputting a inserting/ejecting position of the slide rack to the control unit, wherein the sensing unit installed at the upper side of the slide rack.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the inputting unit includes a remote signal receiving unit formed in the front of the main body such that the remote signal receiving unit can receive signals for tablet cassettes through a remote control device to input them to the control unit.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the inputting unit includes a touch screen electrically connected to the control unit such that it can input tablet cassette identification numbers to be withdrawn to the control unit, wherein the touch screen is connected to the main body.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the sensing unit includes at least more than one proximity sensor at the upper side of each slide rack, which are evenly spaced from one another, and sensing plates sensed by the proximity sensors, which are installed at the rear part of the slide rack, wherein the sensing unit senses and inputs the inserting/ejecting positions of the slide rack to the control unit.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the control unit includes inputted tablet cassette identification number with the tablet cassette identification numbers in each of the plurality of sectors, which are stored in the control unit, and deduces a sector if the inputted tablet cassette identification number is consistent with one of the tablet cassette identification numbers to withdraw the deduced sector to the outside.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , further comprising a display for displaying the empty tablet cassette tablet identification numbers by the control unit and tablet cassette identification numbers inputted through the inputting unit, wherein the display is formed in the front of the main body.