Patent ID: 6497342
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: B65B,B65G

Abstract:
A unit dose medicine feeder comprising:a. a housing having a base and a wall extending from the base and defining a reservoir for holding pills, the base having an outer periphery and an opening located along the outer periphery, the opening sized to allow at least one pill selected from the group consisting of tablets, capsules and caplets to pass through the opening; b. a wheel-like component having a top surface, a bottom surface which is adjacent the base of the cylindrical housing, an outer periphery and a plurality of elongated slots around the outer periphery, each slot oriented to have a center line that is parallel to the wall of the cylindrical housing and from 10Â° to 45Â° from vertical, the slots sized to receive a single pill selected from the group consisting of tablets, capsules and caplets, the slots being positioned so that as the wheel-like component is rotated the slots will sequentially become aligned with the opening in the base allowing a pill within the slot to pass from the slot through the opening, c. a coupling attached to the wheel-like component and configured for connection to a motor for rotating the wheel-like component relative to the base, and d. a retainer attached to the wall of the housing, the retainer positioned opposite from the opening in the base and adjacent the top of the wheel like member, the retainer sized to cover a slot in the wheel-like member when that slot is aligned with the opening in the base.