Patent ID: 7892473
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: B33Y,B65B,B65H

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a pill delivery apparatus, the method comprising: forming a feeder tube for delivering pills and defining a delivery chute, wherein forming the feeder tube comprises: plasticizing a thermoplastic polymer; depositing the polymer in successive layers to define a feeder tube for delivering pills to a container, the feeder tube having an inlet side and an exit side opposed to the inlet side and defining a helical delivery chute extending between the inlet side and the exit side, the helical delivery chute configured to rotate each pill at least one revolution as the pill proceeds there through and deliver pills there through such that each of a plurality of pills successively delivered through the helical delivery chute will be oriented at successive rotational positions along the helical delivery chute so as to prevent jamming of the pills with respect to other pills in the delivery chute; and solidifying the polymer; and operably engaging the feeder tube with a tray having an upper surface adapted to contain a plurality of pills thereon having different orientations, the tray defining an inner tray aperture, the feeder tube extending from the inner tray aperture and being adapted to deliver each pill among the pills having different orientations within the tray to a container.