Methods and apparatus for dispensing solid pharmaceutical articles
First Claim
1. An apparatus for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the apparatus comprising:
- a) a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining;
a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and
a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and
b) an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including;
an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and
an operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall;
wherein;
the input mechanism includes a rotatable member that is rotatable relative to a mating portion of the apparatus;
the operator feedback mechanism includes a detent and a projection, wherein one of the detent and the projection is located on the rotatable member and the other of the detent and the projection is located on the mating portion; and
the projection engages the detent at a prescribed rotational position of the rotatable member to provide tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator as the operator rotates the rotatable member to and/or from the prescribed rotational position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for dispensing pharmaceutical articles includes a housing assembly and an adjustment system. The housing assembly includes a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall. The housing assembly defines a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles, and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber. The dispensing channel has an inlet and an outlet and defines a flow path. The inlet is defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls. The adjustment system is operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet. The adjustment system includes an input mechanism and an operator feedback mechanism. The input mechanism is selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall. The operator feedback mechanism provides tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. An apparatus for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the apparatus comprising:
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a) a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining; a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and b) an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including; an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and an operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; wherein; the input mechanism includes a rotatable member that is rotatable relative to a mating portion of the apparatus; the operator feedback mechanism includes a detent and a projection, wherein one of the detent and the projection is located on the rotatable member and the other of the detent and the projection is located on the mating portion; and the projection engages the detent at a prescribed rotational position of the rotatable member to provide tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator as the operator rotates the rotatable member to and/or from the prescribed rotational position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the method comprising:
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providing an apparatus comprising; a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining; a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including; an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and an operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and using the input mechanism, adjusting the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet; wherein; the input mechanism includes a rotatable member that is rotatable relative to a mating portion of the apparatus; the operator feedback mechanism includes a detent and a projection, wherein one of the detent and the projection is located on the rotatable member and the other of the detent and the projection is located on the mating portion; and the projection engages the detent at a prescribed rotational position of the rotatable member to provide tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator as the operator rotates the rotatable member to and/or from the prescribed rotational position. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the apparatus comprising:
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a) a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining; a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and b) an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including; an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and an operator feedback mechanism that provides audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the apparatus comprising:
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a) a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining; a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and b) an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including; an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and an operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; wherein; the housing assembly includes a third inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall and defining, at least in part, the inlet; the apparatus further includes a second adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the third inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the second adjustment system including; a second input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the third inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and a second operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the second input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the third inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; the second wall is movable relative to the housing along a first axis and the third wall is movable relative to the housing along a second axis transverse to the first axis; and the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis.
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33. A method for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the method comprising:
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providing an apparatus comprising; a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining; a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including; an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and an operator feedback mechanism that provides audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and using the input mechanism, adjusting the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet.
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Specification