Dispensing System for Traditional Chinese Medicines

Abstract

A dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicine comprising an independent medicine dispensing unit including a framework and an operating table. The framework includes: a back plate having semi-cylindrical inner and outer surfaces; and a plurality of horizontal arc shelves connected to the semi-cylindrical inner surface of the back plate. The operating table has a generally semi-circular horizontal plate member for the pharmacist to perform corresponding operations thereon. The shelves are designed such that, for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the inner edges of these shelves become gradually closer to the central axis of the back plate, as the respective heights of the shelves increase.

1 . A dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicine, wherein said system comprises an independent medicine dispensing unit including a framework for putting medicine bottles thereon and an operating table on which a pharmacist may perform corresponding operations, and
 the framework includes: a back plate having an inner surface and an outer surface which are semi-cylindrical, vertically oriented, and concentric; and a plurality of horizontal arc shelves which are connected to the semi-cylindrical inner surface of the back plate and support the medicine bottles thereon; each of the horizontal arc shelves having a radially inner edge and a radially outer edge which are centered on a central axis of the semi-cylindrical inner surface and outer surface of the back plate; and   the operating table has a generally semi-circular horizontal plate member for the pharmacist to perform corresponding operations thereon, the plate member being positioned below the framework; when viewed from a top view, the plate member having its semi-circular contour or border generally coincided with a vertical projection of the cylindrical outer surface of the back plate, and the plate member having a center which is substantially on the central axis of the cylindrical outer surface of the back plate; and   the shelves designed such that, for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the inner edges of these shelves become gradually closer to the central axis of the back plate, as the respective heights of the shelves increase.   
     
     
         2 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined value is in a range of 0 cm to 50 cm. 
     
     
         3 . The dispensing system of  claim 2 , wherein for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the distances of inner edges of these shelves from a predetermined point on the central axis are substantially identical, or increased along an inclined straight locus, or increased along a parabola locus, and a distance of the predetermined point from the plate member equals to the predetermined value. 
     
     
         4 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the distances of inner edges of the respective shelves from the predetermined point on the central axis are in a range of 0.4 m to 1.2 m. 
     
     
         5 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein a distance of an uppermost shelf from the ground is not more than 1.9 m. 
     
     
         6 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein a distance of the plate member of the operating table from the ground is in a range of 0.6 m to 1.2 m. 
     
     
         7 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein each shelve is formed at its inner edge with a stepped portion rising upwards by a predetermined height, so as to avoid occasional drops of the medicine bottles from the shelves. 
     
     
         8 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein each shelf is provided with a plurality of recesses to receive the medicine bottles therein. 
     
     
         9 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the shelves are connected to the back plate via welding, screw connections, adhering or snap fitting. 
     
     
         10 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plate member of the operating table is embedded therein with a weighing assembly having a weighing surface. 
     
     
         11 . The dispensing system of  claim 10 , wherein the weighing surface has a shape of a crescent which is generally centered on the center of the plate member of the operating table. 
     
     
         12 . The dispensing system of  claim 10 , wherein the weighing assembly includes: a meshed screen which has a honeycomb-like structure and defines the weighing surface; a support for supporting the meshed screen which is positioned below the screen and has an openworks body for supporting the screen thereon; and an electronic weighing element below said support. 
     
     
         13 . The dispensing system of  claim 10 , wherein the weighing surface of the weighing assembly is slightly lower than a top surface of the plate member of the operating table. 
     
     
         14 . The dispensing system of  claim 12 , wherein a collecting member is arranged below the support of the weighing assembly which provides a collecting chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The dispensing system of  claim 14 , wherein a dust removing system is operatively connected to the collecting chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The dispensing system of  claim 15 , wherein the dust removing system is designed to operate simultaneously with the weighing assembly, so that the dust removing system will be automatically activated to perform a dust removing operation once the weighing assembly is powered on to perform a weighing operation. 
     
     
         17 . The dispensing system of  claim 15 , wherein the dust removing system includes: a housing having an openable side and a gas outlet arranged in either side wall, the housing having its top surface concaved so as to form the collecting chamber within which an inlet are formed; a dust suction pipe arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the inlet; a dust removing pump arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump opposite to the first end. 
     
     
         18 . The dispensing system of  claim 15 , wherein the dust removing system includes: a housing comprising an openable side wall, a gas outlet provided in either side wall and an opening provided in either side wall for passage of a dust suction pipe; the dust suction pipe arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the collecting chamber through the opening; a dust suction pump arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump opposite to the first end. 
     
     
         19 . The dispensing system of  claim 17 , wherein the housing is provided with sound damping materials on its inner side surface. 
     
     
         20 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plate member of the operating table is formed of tempered glass. 
     
     
         21 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the shelves are made of a metal sheet. 
     
     
         22 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , further comprising an upright cabinet with drawers in side walls which may be drawn out or pushed in as needed, thereby optimizing the using of the space. 
     
     
         23 . The dispensing system of  claim 1 , further comprising any of the following modules: a dishwasher module, a waste receiving module, a packing module, and a window for receiving prescriptions/delivering medicines. 
     
     
         24 . The dispensing system of  claim 18 , wherein the housing is provided with sound damping materials on its inner side surface.