# US 10,864,140 B2 · Medicine feeding apparatus and medicine passing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,140 B2 - Document ID: US10864140B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/738,222 - Filed: 2016-06-30 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-02 - Assignees: Takazono Technology Incorporated - Applicants: Takazono Technology Incorporated - Inventors: Hideyuki Kikuchi; Teruaki Satoh; Takanori Yamabayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864140B2 ## CPC - A61J 3/00: Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms - B65B 1/06: by gravity flow - B65B 9/042: {for fluent material} - B65B 9/045: {for single articles, e.g. tablets} - B65B 39/00: Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers - B65B 39/005: {transverse to flow direction} - B65B 39/007: {Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers} - B65B 39/12: movable towards or away from container or wrapper during filling or depositing - B65B 59/001: {Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged} - B65B 59/04: Machines constructed with readily-detachable units or assemblies, e.g. to facilitate maintenance - B65B 1/30: Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled - B65B 47/04: by application of mechanical pressure - B65B 61/02: for perforating, scoring {, slitting,} or applying code or date marks on material prior to packaging {(scoring ampoules B65B3/006)} - B65B 2220/14: Adding more than one type of material or article to the same package - A61J: CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) ## Abstract Provided is a medicine feeding apparatus including: a medicine feeder body configured to feed medicine; and a medicine passage configured to guide the medicine fed by the medicine feeder body to a packaging material configured to package the medicine. The medicine passage includes: an inlet that is configured to allow the medicine to enter from above therethrough; an outlet that is configured to allow the medicine to exit downward therethrough; and a communication part that is configured to communicate the inlet and the outlet with each other. The inlet and the outlet are provided as separate bodies from each other. The communication part is provided as a separate body from the inlet and the outlet and is connected to the inlet and the outlet so as to be positionally adjustable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medicine feeding apparatus comprising: a medicine feeder body configured to feed medicine; and a medicine passage configured to guide the medicine fed by the medicine feeder body to a packaging material configured to package the medicine, wherein the medicine passage comprises: a first portion; a second portion; an inlet that is provided in the first portion, held at a first specific position below the medicine feeder body, and is configured to allow the medicine fed by the medicine feeder body to enter from above therethrough; an outlet that is detachably provided in the second portion, held at a second specific position below the inlet and above the packaging material in the state where the outlet is attached to the second portion, and is configured to allow the medicine fed by the medicine feeder body to exit downward therethrough; and a communication part configured to communicate the inlet and the outlet with each other, wherein the inlet and the outlet are provided as separate bodies from each other, and wherein the communication part is provided as a separate body from the inlet and the outlet, is vertically movable relative to the inlet and the outlet, is supported from below by the outlet in an area within a vertically movable range, is disengaged from the outlet only by moving upwardly, and is configured to be positionally adjusted with respect to the inlet depending on a position of the inlet with respect to the outlet only when the communication part is connected to the inlet and the outlet is attached to the second portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medicine feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication part is hung from the inlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The medicine feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication part can freely move with respect to the inlet from the outside of the inlet so as to be connected and can freely move with respect to the outlet from the inside of the outlet so as to be connected. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The medicine feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inlet is located inwardly of the communication part in a connecting portion between the inlet and the communication part, and wherein the communication part is located inwardly of the outlet in a connecting portion between the communication part and the outlet. ### Claim 5 A medicine passing apparatus configured to allow medicine to pass therethrough, the medicine passing apparatus comprising: a first portion; a second portion; an inlet that is provided in the first portion, held at a first specific position configured to allow the medicine to enter from above therethrough; an outlet that is detachably provided in the second portion, held at a second specific position below the inlet in the state where the outlet is attached to the second portion, and is configured to allow the medicine to exit downward therethrough; and a communication part that is configured to communicate the inlet and the outlet with each other, wherein the inlet and the outlet are provided as separate bodies from each other, and wherein the communication part is provided as a separate body from the inlet and the outlet, is vertically movable relative to the inlet and the outlet, is supported from below by the outlet in an area within a vertically movable range, is disengaged from the outlet only by moving upwardly, and is configured to be positionally adjusted with respect to the inlet depending on a position of the inlet with respect to the outlet only when the communication part is connected to the inlet and the outlet is attached to the second portion.