Patent ID: 6449921
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
A tablet supplying and packaging apparatus, comprising:a) a housing having an upper surface; b) a turntable exposedly embedded in the upper surface of the housing, wherein the turntable has a center and a plurality of tablet containers disposed around the center, wherein the turntable angularly rotates on the center thereof, wherein said each tablet container is defined by side walls, a top opening and a bottom opening; c) a plurality of plates corresponding to the plurality of tablet containers, wherein said each plate is hingedly engaged to a tablet container portion adjacent to the bottom opening of said each tablet container to releasably close the bottom opening of said each tablet container, whereby one or more tablets serving as a first tablet batch for a unit dosage are either maintained in said each tablet container when the bottom opening is closed by said plate or downwardly discharged when said plate is released; d) a cassette unit having an upper hopper, a cassette stand and a row of tablet cassettes detachably mounted on the cassette stand, wherein the cassette stand is formed on the upper surface of the housing in adjacency to the turntable, wherein the upper hopper is formed below the cassette stand and through the upper surface of the housing, whereby one or more tablets serving as a second tablet batch for the unit dosage are released from the tablet cassettes and guided by the upper hopper; e) a lower hopper disposed below the turntable and the upper hopper of the cassette unit to guide the first and second tablet batches; and f) a tablet packaging assembly disposed below the lower hopper for packaging the tablet batches selectively released from said tablet cassettes and said tablet containers into a plurality of tablet paper bags.