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US 7,021,492 B2Granted
Pill and capsule counter and dispenser
AssigneeApothecary Products, Inc.
InventorsRobert N. Priebe, Terrance O. Noble
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for rapidly counting and dispensing pills and capsules in blister packs or cards is provided. A movable plate with apertures, a sizing guide and a template fit inside a housing. The sizing guide has apertures corresponding to a particular size of pill or capsule, allowing the desired number of pills or capsules to be counted in a first section of the housing. When the excess pills or capsules are removed, the counted pills or capsules are transferred to the template containing a blister pack by moving the plate and placing its apertures in register with the sizing guide apertures.
Claims17
A counter for pills and capsules comprising:
- (a) a housing comprising at least one chamber;
- (b) a movable plate removably positioned within the chamber and dividing the chamber into upper and lower sections, the plate movable from a first position to a second position, the plate having a plurality of apertures;
- (c) at least one sizing guide, the sizing guide having a plurality of apertures, the sizing guide removably fitting within the chamber and substantially aligned with and vertically displaced from the movable plate;
- wherein when the movable plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the apertures in the sizing guide are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and in the sizing guide are in register;
- (d) at least one template having a plurality of cavities, the template removably fitting within the lower section of the chamber and substantially aligned with and displaced below the sizing guide and movable plate, the template and cavities sized to receive a container for pills or capsules;
- wherein when the movable plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the cavities in the template are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and the cavities in the template are in register.
3 more elements
A pill and capsule counting and dispensing system comprising:
- (a) a housing comprising at least one chamber, the housing adapted to receive a plate dividing the chamber into upper and lower sections;
- (b) a plate adapted to be movable from a first position within the chamber to a second position within the chamber, the plate having a plurality of apertures;
- (c) a plurality of sizing guides, the sizing guides having a plurality of apertures corresponding to a particular size of pill or capsule, wherein each sizing guide has a single size of apertures, the sizing guides adapted to removably fit within the chamber in substantial alignment with and vertically displaced from the plate;
- wherein when the plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the apertures in the sizing guide are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and in the sizing guide are in register;
- (d) at least one template having a plurality of cavities, the template removably fitting within the lower section of the chamber and substantially aligned with and displaced below the sizing guide and plate, the template and cavities sized to receive a container for pills or capsules;
- wherein when the plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the cavities in the template are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and the cavities in the template are in register.
3 more elements
A pill and capsule counting and dispensing system comprising:
- (a) a housing comprising at least one chamber, the housing adapted to receive a plate dividing the chamber into upper and lower sections, the housing having first and second ends and an opening in the first end of the lower section of the chamber;
- (b) a plate adapted to be movable from a first position within the chamber to a second position within the chamber, the plate having a plurality of apertures, wherein when the plate is inserted into the housing, the plate extends from the second end toward the first end, but does not reach the first end of the housing;
- (c) a plurality of sizing guides, the sizing guides having a plurality of apertures corresponding to a particular size of pill or capsule, wherein each sizing guide has a single size of apertures, the sizing guides adapted to removably fit within the chamber in substantial alignment with and vertically displaced from the plate;
- wherein when the plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the apertures in the sizing guide are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and in the sizing guide are in register, wherein when the sizing guide is inserted into the housing, the sizing guide extends from the second end toward the first end, but does not reach the first end of the housing;
- (d) at least one template having a plurality of cavities, the template removably fitting within the lower section of the chamber and substantially aligned with and displaced below the sizing guide and plate, the template and cavities sized to receive a container for pills or capsules;
- wherein when the plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the cavities in the template are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and the cavities in the template are in register;
- wherein the opening in the housing is separated from the template, when inserted, by a wall extending upward from a bottom of the housing to the plate, when inserted, such that the opening is accessible to the upper section of the housing and is separated from the template, when inserted.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.