Hopper for a pharmaceutical counter
View Patent ↗A hopper of a pharmaceutical counter comprises a housing defining an interior sized to hold a plurality of pharmaceuticals. The housing defines an outlet in communication with the interior that is sized and shaped to permit the plurality of pharmaceuticals to move therethrough. The hopper also includes a baffle supported by the housing and disposed in the interior. The baffle is disposed between upper and lower ends of the interior. The baffle is arranged to support a portion of the plurality of pharmaceuticals above the baffle when the plurality of pharmaceuticals is held in the interior of the housing. This relieves the head pressure of the pharmaceuticals at the outlet.
1 . A method of installing a hopper in a pharmaceutical counter array, the pharmaceutical counter array including a plurality of pharmaceutical counters, the method comprising:
removing an existing hopper from a first pharmaceutical counter of the plurality of pharmaceutical counters, the existing hopper having a first volume for holding pharmaceuticals;
removing a second pharmaceutical counter of the plurality of pharmaceutical counters from the pharmaceutical counter array, the second pharmaceutical counter disposed directly above the first pharmaceutical counter in the pharmaceutical counter array; and
installing the hopper in the first pharmaceutical counter, the hopper having a second volume for holding pharmaceuticals, the second volume being greater than the first volume;
wherein the hopper occupies at least a portion of a space previously occupied by the second pharmaceutical counter in the pharmaceutical counter array before the second pharmaceutical counter was removed from the pharmaceutical counter array.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hopper substantially fills the space previously occupied by the second pharmaceutical counter.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hopper as a width generally corresponding to a first width of the existing hopper, and wherein the first pharmaceutical counter has a first height extending between an upper end of the hopper and a lower end of the first pharmaceutical counter after the said installing the hopper, the first height generally equal to or less than a second height, the second height extending between an upper end of the second pharmaceutical counter and the lower end of the first pharmaceutical counter before said removing the second pharmaceutical counter.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said installing the hopper includes adjusting a position of a baffle of the hopper.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said adjusting includes rotating the baffle about an axis of rotation.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the baffle is a first baffle, and wherein said installing the hopper includes adjusting a position of a second baffle of the hopper.
7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising positioning a gate disposed at an outlet of the hopper to adjust a size of the outlet to control a flow of the pharmaceuticals therethrough with the outlet of the hopper is opened horizontally, and
positioning the baffle is above the outlet.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning a gate disposed at an outlet of the hopper to adjust a size of the outlet to control a flow of the pharmaceuticals therethrough.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing has an upper portion and a lower portion defining an interior sized to hold the pharmaceuticals, the interior having a lower end and an upper end, the lower portion of the housing defining an outlet in communication with the interior, the outlet sized and shaped to permit the pharmaceuticals to move therethrough into a counter associated with the first pharmaceutical counter and not the second pharmaceutical counter; and
a baffle disposed between the upper and lower ends of the interior arranged to support a portion of the pharmaceuticals above the baffle when the pharmaceuticals are held in the interior of the housing, and positioning the baffle to reduce pressure of the plurality of pharmaceuticals at the outlet.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein positioning the baffle includes positioning the baffle to be spaced apart from front and rear sides of the interior.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising positioning the baffle relative to the outlet such that an imaginary vertically-oriented axis intersects the baffle and the outlet.
12 . The method of claim 9 , with the baffle having a front side, a rear side and a baffle axis extending between the front and rear ends, disposing the baffle axis at an angle to a horizontal plane.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein disposing the baffle axis is at the angle within an inclusive range of about 20 degrees to about 60 degrees.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein disposing includes the baffle being movable relative to the housing to change the angle.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising applying a retainer to selectively fix the baffle relative to the housing.
16 . The method of claim 1 , disposing a first baffle and a second baffle in the interior of the hopper such that the first baffle supports a first portion of the pharmaceuticals in the hopper and the second baffle supports a second portion of the pharmaceuticals in the hopper with at least part of the second portion of pharmaceuticals being different that the first portion of pharmaceuticals.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein disposing includes offsetting the second baffle horizontally and vertically from the first baffle in the hopper.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein disposing includes disposing the second baffle rearwardly and upwardly relative to the first baffle and above the outlet.