Universal pill counting device
First Claim
1. Apparatus for counting objects comprising:
- a bowl adapted for holding a plurality of the objects therein and rotatable about an axis in a housing, the bowl further comprising, a first annular inclined surface portion adjacent a bottom of the bowl, a second annular inclined surface portion adjacent a top of the bowl, and an annular, substantially flat ledge intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inclined surfaces;
a spiral guide ramp held stationary within the rotating bowl for guiding the objects from the bottom of the bowl to the ledge and from the ledge to the top of the bowl, the ramp forming a gap adjacent the ledge;
means for periodically altering an angular velocity of the rotation of the bowl so as to cause the objects on the ledge to either distribute individually therealong and traverse the gap to be guided to the top of the bowl or to fall through the gap to return to the bottom of the bowl;
a slide for guiding the objects individually from the top of the bowl to one of either a first collecting means or a second collecting means;
a counter for counting individual objects guided to the first collecting means; and
a gate at a first position for guiding individual objects into the first collecting means and when a predetermined number of objects have been collected in the first collecting means the gate being actuable to a second position for guiding individual objects into the second collecting means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A bench-top pill counter accurately and automatically counts a wide variety of shapes and sizes of pharmaceutical pills and capsules, having a variety of coatings. A rotating bowl, periodically shaken during rotation, is combined with a fixed, flared spiral guide ramp causing pills to distribute individually on an annular ledge in the bowl. The pills are dispensed from the bowl onto a sloped slide and counted at the bottom of the slide by an optical counter. The micro-computer determines an optimum speed and shake algorithm for the bowl, based on the characteristics such as the size and shape of the pills, so that the pills distribute individually and only one pill at a time passes the counter.
21 Citations
36 Claims
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1. Apparatus for counting objects comprising:
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a bowl adapted for holding a plurality of the objects therein and rotatable about an axis in a housing, the bowl further comprising, a first annular inclined surface portion adjacent a bottom of the bowl, a second annular inclined surface portion adjacent a top of the bowl, and an annular, substantially flat ledge intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inclined surfaces; a spiral guide ramp held stationary within the rotating bowl for guiding the objects from the bottom of the bowl to the ledge and from the ledge to the top of the bowl, the ramp forming a gap adjacent the ledge; means for periodically altering an angular velocity of the rotation of the bowl so as to cause the objects on the ledge to either distribute individually therealong and traverse the gap to be guided to the top of the bowl or to fall through the gap to return to the bottom of the bowl; a slide for guiding the objects individually from the top of the bowl to one of either a first collecting means or a second collecting means; a counter for counting individual objects guided to the first collecting means; and a gate at a first position for guiding individual objects into the first collecting means and when a predetermined number of objects have been collected in the first collecting means the gate being actuable to a second position for guiding individual objects into the second collecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Apparatus for counting objects comprising:
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a bowl adapted for holding a plurality of the objects therein and rotatable about an axis in a housing, the bowl further comprising, a first annular inclined surface portion adjacent a bottom of the bowl, a second annular inclined surface portion adjacent a top of the bowl, and an annular, substantially flat ledge intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inclined surfaces; a slide for guiding the objects individually from the top of the bowl to one of either a first collecting means or a second collecting means; a counter positioned at a bottom of the slide for counting the objects as the individual objects are guided to the first collecting means; a gate at a first position for guiding individual objects into the first collecting means and when a predetermined number of objects have been collected in the first collecting means the gate being actuable to a second position for guiding individual objects into the second collecting means; and a spiral guide ramp held stationary within the rotating bowl for guiding the objects from the bottom of the bowl to the ledge and from the ledge to the top of the bowl, and having a flare extending from at least a portion of a lower edge of the spiral guide ramp to assist in guiding the objects therealong. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of counting objects adapted for use with a spiral guide ramp held stationary in a bowl, the method comprising:
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placing the objects in a bottom of the bowl, rotating the bowl so as to cause the objects to be guided along the stationary spiral guide ramp on a first annular inclined surface portion from a bottom of the bowl to an annular, substantially flat ledge and for guiding the objects from the ledge to the top of the bowl; and periodically altering an angular velocity of the rotation of the bowl so as to distribute objects on the ledge individually therealong and traverse a gap in the ramp adjacent the ledge to be guided to the top of the bowl or to fall through the gap to return to the bottom of the bowl. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. Apparatus for counting objects comprising:
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a bowl adapted for holding a plurality of the objects therein and rotatable about an axis in a housing, the bowl further comprising, a first annular inclined surface portion adjacent a bottom of the bowl, a second annular inclined surface portion adjacent a top of the bowl, and an annular, substantially flat ledge intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inclined surfaces; a spiral guide ramp held stationary within the rotating bowl for guiding the objects from the bottom of the bowl to the ledge and from the ledge to the top of the bowl, the ramp forming a gap adjacent the ledge; a controller for periodically altering an angular velocity of the rotation of the bowl so as to cause the objects on the ledge to either distribute individually therealong and traverse the gap to be guided to the top of the bowl or to fall through the gap to return to the bottom of the bowl; a slide for guiding the objects individually from the top of the bowl to one of either a first collecting means or a second collecting means; a counter for counting individual objects guided to the first collecting means; and a gate at a first position for guiding individual objects into the first collecting means and when a predetermined number of objects have been collected in the first collecting means the gate being actuable to a second position for guiding individual objects into the second collecting means. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification