TABLET DISPENSER
First Claim
1. A tablet dispenser for dispensing tablets from a bottle, comprising:
- A. an inlet portion with an inlet opening for receiving a tablet from the bottle;
B. an outlet portion with an outlet opening for dispensing the tablet;
C. a tablet transporter situated between the inlet portion and the outlet portion; and
D. a rotation drive for rotating the tablet transporter with respect to the inlet portion and the outlet portion;
E. wherein the tablet transporter has a transporter opening for receiving the tablet from the inlet opening in a receiving positionF. wherein the rotation drive is adapted to rotate the tablet transporter from the receiving position to a dispensing position, thereby transporting the tablet with the transporter opening to the outlet opening.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tablet dispenser for dispensing randomly stored tablets from a bottle is disclosed. The dispenser includes offset inlet and outlet paths, a helical dispensing screw, and a rotation drive. The inlet path can be positioned for receiving a tablet to be dispensed from a bottle or other supply of tablets. The outlet path can be positioned for dispensing a tablet. The helical dispensing screw can be configured to rotate, driven by the rotation drive, to transport a tablet from the inlet path to the outlet path. The rotation drive can be operable by pushing the structure defining the inlet path and the outlet portion toward each other. The dispenser can be equipped with a dispensing sensor and memory that records data regarding each pill dispensed, such as the time of dispensing and the number of pills remaining, and optionally transmits the data to a device on or off the patient'"'"'s premises.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A tablet dispenser for dispensing tablets from a bottle, comprising:
-
A. an inlet portion with an inlet opening for receiving a tablet from the bottle; B. an outlet portion with an outlet opening for dispensing the tablet; C. a tablet transporter situated between the inlet portion and the outlet portion; and D. a rotation drive for rotating the tablet transporter with respect to the inlet portion and the outlet portion; E. wherein the tablet transporter has a transporter opening for receiving the tablet from the inlet opening in a receiving position F. wherein the rotation drive is adapted to rotate the tablet transporter from the receiving position to a dispensing position, thereby transporting the tablet with the transporter opening to the outlet opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. (canceled)
-
12. A method of dispensing tablets with a tablet dispenser, comprising the steps of:
-
A. attaching a bottle storing tablets in a bulk to the tablet dispenser; B. receiving, in an inlet opening of an inlet portion of the tablet dispenser, a tablet from the bottle, wherein the tablet falls into a transporter pusher of a tablet transporter being in a receiving position; C. rotating, by a rotation drive, the tablet transporter from the receiving position to a dispensing position, wherein the tablet falls into an outlet opening of an outlet portion of the tablet dispenser, when the tablet transporter arrives at the dispensing position; D. dispensing the tablet from the outlet opening.
-
-
13. A tablet dispenser for dispensing tablets from a bottle, comprising:
-
A. an inlet portion perforated by an inlet path, the inlet path positioned for receiving a tablet from a bottle; B. an outlet portion perforated by an outlet path, the outlet path being non-collinear with the inlet path and positioned for dispensing a tablet; C. a helical dispensing screw disposed between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and configured to transport a tablet from the inlet path to the outlet path; and D. a rotation drive operable by pushing at least one of the inlet portion and the outlet portion toward the other and configured to rotate the dispensing helical dispensing screw with respect to the outlet portion for transporting a tablet from the inlet path to the outlet path. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification