Pharmaceutical packaging apparatus, method of determining remaining quantity of pharmaceutical packaging paper and pharmaceutical packaging paper roll
Inventors
Yoshina, Katsunori • Sugimoto, Tomohiro • FUJII, Noriyoshi
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12065323-B2
Publication Date
2024-08-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
Medicine packaging apparatuses and methods for accurately determining a remaining sheet amount of a medicine packaging sheet are described. The apparatus includes: a roll support section to which a core tube of a medicine packaging sheet roll is attached; a sensor disposed in the roll support section for outputting a count value according to a rotation amount; a wireless reader-writer unit for writing information to a core tube IC tag and reading said information; an information generation section for generating information to be written to the core tube IC tag; a remaining sheet amount estimation section for estimating a current amount of remaining sheet based on the information and dimensional information of the core tube; and a controller which selectively performs an operation if a reference time-point count value is not yet written to the core tube IC tag and another operation if the count value is already written thereto.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a medicine packaging apparatus and a medicine packaging sheet roll that includes a core tube provided with a storage medium. The apparatus outputs rotation amount information indicating a rotation amount of a rotating shaft portion to which the medicine packaging sheet roll is attached, and writes and reads information to and from the storage medium provided inside the core tube.
The apparatus generates rotation amount information as information writable to the storage medium based on a reference sheet-remaining amount timing and one or plural individual current sheet-remaining amount obtaining timings. The generated information includes rotation amount information upon unwinding a packaging sheet by a predetermined length and an amount of sheet use from the reference time-point through the packaging sheet in-use time-point.
Based on the stored rotation amount information as of the reference sheet-remaining amount timing, the rotation amount information as of the individual current sheet-remaining amount obtaining timings, the amount of sheet use, and dimensional information of the core tube, the apparatus estimates a current amount of remaining sheet. The invention further specifies a first rotation amount and a second rotation amount generated for unwinding a predetermined length of the packaging sheet from the medicine packaging sheet roll, where the second remaining amount is smaller than the first remaining amount.
Claims Coverage
The document provides two independent claims with a common inventive concept: using rotation amount information with a core tube storage medium to generate and store time-point tied rotation data and to estimate remaining sheet amount using core tube dimensional information. The independent claims differ in how the rotation information is structured as reference/current timing versus first/second remaining states and a sheet-use difference.
Rotation amount output for rotating shaft portion tied to sheet unwinding timings
An output of rotation amount information as an indication of a rotation amount of a rotating shaft portion to which the medicine packaging sheet roll is attached, where the rotation amount information corresponds to a reference sheet-remaining amount timing and one or a plural pieces of rotation amount information corresponds to individual current sheet-remaining amount obtaining timings.
Core tube storage medium write/read for rotation amount information
An information reading and communications section for writing information to and reading written information from the storage medium provided inside the core tube, where information generated based on the rotation amount information is generated as information writable to the storage medium.
Reference time-point and in-use time-point rotation information generation including sheet-use
Generation of rotation amount information as of a reference sheet-remaining amount timing, generation of one or a plural pieces of rotation amount information as of individual current sheet-remaining amount obtaining timings, and generation of an amount of sheet use from the reference time-point through the packaging sheet in-use time-point.
Remaining sheet estimation using stored rotation information and core tube dimensional information
Estimation of a current amount of remaining sheet based on the rotation amount information as of reference sheet-remaining amount timing, the rotation amount information as of individual current sheet-remaining amount obtaining timings, the amount of sheet use, and dimensional information of the core tube.
First and second rotation amounts defining remaining amounts and sheet-use difference
Generation of a first rotation amount upon unwinding a predetermined length from the medicine packaging sheet roll which has a first remaining amount, generation of a second rotation amount upon unwinding the predetermined length from the medicine packaging sheet roll which has a second remaining amount smaller than the first amount, and generation of an amount of sheet use as a difference between the first amount and the second amount.
Remaining sheet calculation after unwinding using read information and core tube dimensional information
Calculation of an amount of remaining sheet after the packaging sheet is unwound by the predetermined length from the medicine packaging sheet roll which has the second remaining amount, based on information read from the storage medium and dimensional information of the core tube.
Across both independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on combining rotation amount information from a rotating shaft portion with a storage medium inside the core tube to write and read rotation information, defining reference and current timing or first and second remaining states with an amount of sheet use, and estimating and calculating a current amount of remaining sheet using stored rotation information together with dimensional information of the core tube.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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