Background Art A device of the above-mentioned type may consist of, for instance, a container of tablets, the cover of which is provided with a valve means. To dispense a tablet, one grasps the container and turns it upside down. A tablet is then caught by the valve means, and by activating the valve means, for instance by turning the cover, the tablet can be dispensed. The function of the device is dependent on the fact that the container of tablets is moving. As a result, it is ensured on the one hand that the tablets are shaken, thereby preventing bridge forma- tion between the tablets and the walls of the container, and, on the other hand, that a tablet is caught by the valve means.

However, it happens that the storage means of a device for handling tablets is statically arranged.

Furthermore the valve means is normally designed for dispensing tablets one by one. The dispensing one by one causes very small motions-if any at all-in a bed of tablets formed of tablets in the volume. There is thus a great risk that the tablets press themselves against each other and against the boundary surfaces of the volume so as to form bridges. Such bridges may imply that a large amount of tablets gets stuck in the volume, which results in the fact that new tablets cannot be passed on to the valve means. Such bridge formations can be released by applying force from the outside of the storage means,

thereby breaking up the bridges. It is also possible to insert, for instance, a stick into the volume, thereby causing a release of the bridges. It goes without saying that this causes problems since outside force may damage the device, and directly acting on the tablets inside the volume may cause hygienic problems.

A first object of the present invention therefore is to provide a device for handling tablets, which is adapted to be stationarily arranged and in which device the problems of bridging are obviated or, in any case, significantly reduced. It is also preferred and the device ensures safe dispensing of tablets when activating its valve means.

A second object of the present invention is to pro- vide a method which allows manufacture of a device for handling tablets, which is adapted to be stationarily arranged and in which the problems of bridging are ob- viated or at least significantly reduced.

Summary of the Invention According to the invention, the first object is achieved by a device having the features defined in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are stated in claims 2-26.

According to the invention, the second object is achieved by a method having the features defined in claim 27.

More specifically, according to the invention a device for handling tablets is provided, which is adapted to be stationarily arranged and comprises a storage means, which defines a volume provided with a bottom and intended for storing said tablets, and a valve means arranged adjacent to the bottom and adapted to dispense the tablets from the volume, said device being charac- terised by a member arranged in the volume and having a surface facing the bottom to form a partial volume com- municating with the rest of the volume, said surface being inclined relative to a vertical line when the device is positioned so that the bottom is located under

the volume and is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the vertical line.

The partial volume forms a free space, in which tablets can be located without being acted upon by tablets higher up, which are located in the rest of the volume. As a result, the risk of bridging inside the partial volume is eliminated or, in any case, reduced.

The tablets can further move away from the partial volume to the rest of the volume and vice versa, thereby permit- ting motions in the bed of tablets formed of the tablets, which eliminates or reduces the risk of bridging in the entire volume. If the device when used is arranged ver- tically and the angle is suitably adapted, a tablet located in the partial volume and pressed against the surface cannot be supported by the same. This results in a further reduction of the risk of bridging in the par- tial volume.

Preferably the member is formed of a plate whose one side forms said surface and, according to a preferred em- bodiment of the invention, said plate is essentially tri- angular and has a first corner located adjacent to the bottom at a distance from an inner circumferential sur- face of the volume, a second corner located adjacent to the bottom close to said circumferential surface, and a third corner located at a distance from the bottom and close to said circumferential surface.

Preferably the valve means, when being activated, is formed to effect an exchange of tablets located in the volume between said partial volume and the rest of the volume. More specifically, it is preferred that the valve means, when being activated, is formed to effect trans- port of tablets located in said partial volume towards the rest of the volume. This results in outward transport of tablets from the partial volume to the rest of the volume, thereby allowing inward transport of tablets from the rest of the volume to the partial volume.

Preferably the valve means, when being activated, cooperates with the member to perform motions of a bed of tablets formed of tablets located in the volume. This results in a further reduction of the risk of bridging in the volume.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the valve means comprises a collecting means which is arranged about an axis and which forms said bottom of the volume, said collecting means being designed to support lower tablets located in the storage means and to collect one or more of the lower tablets upon activation of the valve means.

According to one more embodiment of the invention, the collecting means is adapted to be turned about the axis to effect said collecting of tablets.

Said turning preferably causes said exchange of tablets and, more specifically, it is preferred that said turning causes said outward transport of tablets.

Preferably said turning causes said cooperation between the valve means and the member. More specifi- cally, it is preferred that the direction of turning is such that tablets supported by said bottom in front of said member are transported towards the member so as to be pressed, when contacting the member, by posteriorly situated tablets up a side of said member facing away from the bottom, thereby accomplishing said cooperation.

According to another embodiment, the device com- prises a motor which is drivable to cause said turning.

According to another embodiment, the device com- prises a transducer, which when being activated starts said motor.

Preferred embodiments of the valve means are evident from subclaims 18-26.

It goes without saying that the above preferred em- bodiments can be combined.

The invention further relates to a method for making a device for handling tablets, said device having a stor-

age means and a valve means, the method comprising the step of arranging the valve means, which is adapted to dispense the tablets, adjacent to a bottom of the storage means defining a volume for storing tablets, said method being characterised by the step of arranging in the vo- lume a member with a surface facing the bottom to form a partial volume located between the body and the bottom and communicating with the rest of the volume. The method allows making of a device comprising a storage means, which defines a partial volume in which the tablets are not affected by superjacent tablets in the rest of the volume. The risk of bridging in the partial volume thus is significantly reduced. Moreover, motions of tablets between the partial volume and the rest of the volume are allowed, which reduces the risk of bridging in the entire volume.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now for the purpose of exemplification be described with refe- rence to the accompanying Figures.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along line A-A in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line B-B in Fig. 2 and shows a storage means and, arranged therein, a member of the device.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line C-C in Fig. 2 and shows the storage means and the member arranged therein.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the member arranged in the storage means.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line D-D in Fig. 2 and shows the valve means of the device.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a collecting plate of the valve means illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of an intermediate storage plate of the valve means shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a discharge plate of the valve means shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a dispensing plate of the valve means shown in Fig. 6.

Figs lla-c show the plates of the valve means in positions Ll, L2 and L3, respectively.

Description of Embodiments Fig. 1, to which reference is made, shows a prefer- red embodiment of the device according to the invention.

The device comprises a storage means in the form of a container 1, a valve means 2, a motor 3, and a trans- ducer 4. The valve means 2 is mounted adjacent to a bot- tom 5 of the container 1. The motor 3, which is mounted on the upper side 6 of the container 1, is adapted to drive the valve means 2, said driving occurring only at a signal from the transducer 4. The transducer 4 suitably is a photodetector, which transmits a signal when record- ing the presence of an object, such as a hand 7, in a tablet dispensing position 8 of the valve means 2.

The device is supported by a column 9 and a base 10 associated therewith.

When using the device, its container 1 is filled with tablets T, which are schematically shown in Fig. 3 and preferably are intended for consumption, such as vitamin tablets. The device is arranged so that, when a hand 7 is moved to the dispensing position 8 of the valve means 2, the transducer 4 records the presence of the hand 7 and then transmits a signal via a line (sche- matically indicated by a dash-dot line) to the motor 3.

The motor 3 now starts and drives the valve means 2, which dispenses a suitable amount of tablets T. Normally the valve means 2 is adapted to dispense tablets T one by one.

As is evident from Figs 2-5, to which reference is now made, a member 11 is arranged inside the container 1.

The member 11 is a plate 12 with a cover sheet 13 and is best seen in Fig. 5. The plate 12 has three intercon-

nected edges 14a-c. The first edge 14a extends radially along the bottom 5 of the container 1 from a central position 15 thereof outwards to the inner circumferential surface 16 of the container 1 and connects to a second edge 14b of the plate 12. The second edge 14b extends along the inner circumferential surface 16 of the con- tainer 1 with an inclination in the axial direction.

Finally the third edge 14c extends linearly between the non-interconnected ends 17a, 17b, respectively, of the first edge 14a and the second edge 14b, respectively.

Thus the plate 12 is essentially triangular. The plate 12 is in the shown embodiment planar but, of course, it may also be curved. The cover sheet 13 is connected to the first edge 14a and extends along the bottom 5 of the con- tainer 1 and consequently covers an angular interval I of the bottom 5.

Fig. 6, to which reference is now made, shows the components included in the valve means 2.

The valve means 2 comprises a collecting means or a collecting plate 18 with two diametrically opposite through recesses 19a, 19b, an intermediate storage means or an intermediate storage plate 20 having a through hole 21, a discharge means or a discharge plate 22 having a through hole 23, and a dispensing means or dispensing plate 24 having a through hole 25.

The collecting plate 18, which is also shown in Fig. 7, has an upper side 26 which forms the bottom 5 of the container 1, and is connected to a shaft 27 extending through the container along a longitudinal axis 28 there- of. The upper end of the shaft 27 is connected to the motor 3 and, consequently, the collecting plate 18 is turnable by driving of the motor 3.

The intermediate storage plate 20, which is also shown in Fig. 8, is mounted about the shaft 27 and ar- ranged immediately below the collecting plate 18. It is also fixed in a casing 29 of the valve means 2, said casing 29 in turn being connected to the container 1.

The intermediate storage plate 20 thus is stationarily arranged.

The discharge plate 22, which is also shown in Fig. 9, is arranged immediately below the intermediate storage plate 20 and connected to said shaft 27.

Consequently the discharge plate 22 is turnable in unison with the collecting plate 18.

The dispensing plate 24, which is also shown in Fig. 10, is mounted about the shaft 27 and fixed in the casing 29.

The through holes 21 and 25 of the intermediate storage plate 20 and the dispensing means 24, respec- tively, are arranged in different angular positions round the shaft 27. More specifically, the holes 21 and 25 are separated by 90°.

The preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention eliminates or reduces the risk of bridging in the container 1. Bridging means that tablets T in the container 1 press themselves against each other and against the inner circumferential surface 16 of the container, so as to form networks of bridges. If these bridges become sufficiently strong, they can support the entire superposed bed of tablets and thus prevent supply of tablets T to the valve means 2, which consequently cannot dispense tablets T upon activation of the motor 3.

This risk of bridging is eliminated or reduced by arranging the member 11 in the container 1. The member 11 in fact forms between itself and the bottom 5 a partial volume dV communicating with the rest of the volume V through an opening 31. The partial volume dV is partially defined by an underside 30 of the member 11, said under- side 30 being angled at an angle p to the longitudinal axis 28 of the container 1 so as to face the bottom 5.

The angle (p is adjusted so that a tablet T pressed against the underside 30 by other tablets T will not be supported by the underside 30. Consequently, the tablets T in the partial volume dV cannot press themselves

against said underside 30, thereby eliminating the risk of bridging in the partial volume dV. The tablets T can move into and out of the partial volume dV through the opening 31, and this freedom of motion allows a reduction of the risk of bridging in the rest of the volume V.

Thanks to the fact that the valve means 2 comprises a collecting plate 18 forming a turnable bottom 5 of the container 1, a cooperation between the member 11 and the valve means 2 is achieved, which further reduces the risk of bridging. The collecting plate 18 is in fact turned in the direction indicated by arrow Pl in Fig. 2, whereby tablets T supported by the bottom 5 and located in the partial volume dV are transported out of the partial volume dV to the remaining volume V through the opening 31. This outward transport of tablets T implies that inward transporting of new tablets T from the remaining volume V to the partial volume dV through the opening 31 is allowed. The valve means 2 thus is formed so as to increase the exchange of tablets T between the partial volume dV and the rest of the volume V when operating the valve means, which, of course, reduces the risk of bridging in the rest of the volume V.

Finally, the upper side 32 of the plate 12 is formed so that tablets T located in front of the plate 12 and supported by the bottom 5 are transported towards said upper side 32 and are pressed up said upper side by posteriorly situated tablets T. Thus a vertical motion is effected in the bed of tablets, which further reduces the risk of bridging since the vertical motion tends to break up any bridges formed.

The member 11 and its cooperation with the valve means 2 consequently result in the risk of bridging in the volume V of the container 1 being practically eli- minated or at least significantly reduced.

The function of the valve means 2 will now be described and reference is made to Figs lla-c. In the starting position Ll, a tablet T2 is positioned in the

hole 21 in the intermediate storage plate 20 and a tablet Tl in the hole 23 in the discharge plate 22, as shown in Fig. 6. The tablets T1, T2 have been arranged in the respective holes 21,23 during a preceding activation of the valve means 2. When the transducer 4 records the presence of, for instance, a hand 7 and activates the motor 3 so as to start it, the shaft 27 and the collect- ing and discharge plate 18,22 connected therewith turn.

After a quarter of a revolution Vl to an angular position L2, the hole 23 of the discharge plate 22 is moved to a position in which it communicates with the hole 25 of the dispensing means 24. The tablet Tl in the hole 23 of the discharge plate 22 can thus be transferred to the hole 25 of the dispensing plate 24 and, from there, out of the container. After another quarter of a revolution V2 to an angular position L3, one of the recesses 19b of the col- lecting plate 18 is moved to a position in which it communicates with the hole 21 of the intermediate storage plate 20. One of the tablets T3 located in the container 1 is arranged in the recess 19a during the turning V2 to the angular position L3, said tablet T3 being schemati- cally shown in Fig. 6 by dashed lines, and if a tablet T2 has not been transferred to the hole 21 of the interme- diate storage plate 20 during the preceding turning, a tablet T3 is now transferred to said hole 21. In the normal case, however, there is already a tablet T2 in this hole 21, and therefore a transfer does normally not occur. After one further half a revolution V3 to the initial angular position Ll, the recess 19a reaches a position in which it communicates with the hole 21 of the intermediate storage plate 20, and has during said turning collected a tablet T4 from the bed of tablets, said tablet T4 being schematically shown in Fig. 6 by dashed lines. In this angular position L1, also the hole 23 of the discharge plate 22 communicates with the hole 25 of the intermediate storage plate 24. Consequently a tablet T2 is transferred to the hole 23 of the discharge

plate 22, and a tablet T4 is transferred to the hole 21 of the intermediate storage plate 20, whereby the origi- nal state has one more been taken.

The cover sheet 13 of the member 11 covers said third angular position Ll. As a result, it is ensured that the transfer of a tablet T3, T4 from the recess 19a, 19b of the collecting plate 18 to the hole 21 of the intermediate storage plate 20 is achieved without being affected by the superjacent tablets T in the container 1.

Of course, the cover sheet 13 need not be connected to the member 11 but it can be arranged in said first an- gular position L3 in some other suitable fashion.

Tablets Tl, T2, T3, T4 are transferred between the different plates 18,20,22,24 by gravity.

The diameters of the recesses 19a, 19b and the holes 21,23,25 preferably increase in the axial direction downwards, i. e. the through hole 25 of the dispensing means 24 has the largest diameter while the recesses 19a, 19b of the collecting plate 18 have the smallest dia- meter.

The valve means 2 handles the tablets T carefully, thereby also making it possible to use fragile tablets T.

The careful handling in fact means that tearing off of parts from the tablets is avoided, which parts could block the mechanism or in some other way jeopardise the function of the valve means. Moreover, the design of the valve means 2 results in a highly reliable dispensing. If the transfer of a tablet T4 between one recess 19a and the hole 21 of the intermediate storage plate 20 fails, transfer of a tablet T3 will be carried out by means of the other recess 19a. If a further reduction of the risk of malfunction is desirable, additional recesses can, of course, be made in the collecting plate 18, but practical experiments have shown that sufficient reliability is achieved by means of two recesses 19a, 19b.

It will be appreciated that modifications are pos- sible within the scope of the invention. For instance,

the volume of the container need not be cylindrical, and can be, for instance, conical, the narrow end directed downwards. Furthermore, the valve means can be designed in different ways. Finally the member can have a dif- ferent appearance. The essential thing is that the member between itself and the bottom forms a partial volume and that the underside of the member is directed towards the bottom.

Consequently, the embodiment illustrated can be modified and changed without deviating from the scope of the invention, which is merely defined by the appended claims.