Pill Packaging Machine
First Claim
1. A pill packaging system comprising:
- a. a pill feeding assembly;
b. a pill packaging assembly positioning individual pill packages to receive a pill;
c. a pill guide positioned between the feeding assembly and packaging assembly, the pill guide comprising;
i. a body having an inlet aperture in an upper end of the body and an elongated outlet aperture on a lower end of the body, the outlet aperture having a front and rear portion;
ii. an outlet inclined surface sloping toward the rear of the body and transitioning to the outlet aperture; and
iii. the rear portion of the outlet aperture extending further downward than the front portion of the outlet aperture, whereby a pill traveling through the pill guide exits the outlet aperture oriented such that a leading edge of the pill points toward one side of the pill package and the trailing edge of the pill is inclined toward an opposite side of the pill package.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for packaging unit doses of medication. One pill packaging system comprises a feeding assembly, a pill packaging assembly, and a pill guide. The pill guide may be positioned between the feeding assembly and packaging assembly and comprise a body having inlet and outlet apertures, whereby a pill traveling through the pill guide exits the outlet aperture oriented such that a leading edge of the pill points toward one side of the pill package and the trailing edge of the pill is inclined toward an opposite side of the pill package. Another pill packaging system comprises a pill feeding assembly comprising a pill disk with circumferentially positioned pill slots, a pill packaging assembly, and a sensor, such as a camera, to determine whether more than one pill is positioned in a pill slot on the pill disk.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A pill packaging system comprising:
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a. a pill feeding assembly; b. a pill packaging assembly positioning individual pill packages to receive a pill; c. a pill guide positioned between the feeding assembly and packaging assembly, the pill guide comprising; i. a body having an inlet aperture in an upper end of the body and an elongated outlet aperture on a lower end of the body, the outlet aperture having a front and rear portion; ii. an outlet inclined surface sloping toward the rear of the body and transitioning to the outlet aperture; and iii. the rear portion of the outlet aperture extending further downward than the front portion of the outlet aperture, whereby a pill traveling through the pill guide exits the outlet aperture oriented such that a leading edge of the pill points toward one side of the pill package and the trailing edge of the pill is inclined toward an opposite side of the pill package. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A pill packaging system comprising:
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a. a pill feeding assembly comprising a pill disk having a series of circumferentially positioned pill slots. b. a pill packaging assembly; c. a camera which is positioned to view the pill disk and capable of sending images to a controller; and d. the controller capable of analyzing images from a camera based on predetermined criteria to determine whether more than one pill is positioned in a pill slot on the pill disk. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A pill packaging system comprising:
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a. a pill feeding assembly; b. a pill packaging assembly; c. a pill guide positioned between the feeding assembly and packaging assembly, the pill guide including a detection window formed therein; d. a sensor positioned to detect a pill passing through a plane of the window; e. a controller causing the pill feeding assembly to dispense a next pill or not dispense the next pill based upon whether the sensor detects a pill crossing the plane of the window. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification