Dispensable unit retrieval mechanism
First Claim
1. A device comprising:
- a container;
a tube having a first end portion and a second end portion coupled in fluid communication by a hollow core;
a nib disposed on the first end portion of the tube, the nib defining an opening in fluid communication with the hollow core;
a carousel including the container, the carousel rotatable to position the container for engagement with the nib;
a vacuum source in fluid communication with the tube, the vacuum source controllable to apply a vacuum force through the hollow core to the nib;
a positioner coupled to the tube and movable within the container to move the nib; and
a controller in communication with the positioner, the controller configured to move the positioner within the container according to a sequence of retrieval attempts, each retrieval attempt offsetting a position of the nib within a horizontal plane by a distance greater than half of a cross-sectional width of the nib.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system enables management of dispensable units by supporting functions such as retrieval, scheduled distribution, analysis, and notifications. To this end, a dispensable retrieval mechanism may be programmed to carry out blind retrievals of dispensable units using a retrieval strategy with a predetermined sequence of retrieval attempts (e.g., fixed or varying two-dimensional retrieval patterns), which may be open loop or closed loop. Techniques may also include the identification of dispensable units through optical sensors and weight measurement devices that can detect, e.g., a texture, a shape, and a size of dispensable units. Such identification can be used to program retrieval attempts by a retrieval robot and in the formulation of the retrieval pattern. Additionally, networked notification systems for dispensable units can be used for updating rules or schedules related to the dispensable units, or alerting users and remote resources of any potential misuse or hazards of the dispensable units.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A device comprising:
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a container; a tube having a first end portion and a second end portion coupled in fluid communication by a hollow core; a nib disposed on the first end portion of the tube, the nib defining an opening in fluid communication with the hollow core; a carousel including the container, the carousel rotatable to position the container for engagement with the nib; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the tube, the vacuum source controllable to apply a vacuum force through the hollow core to the nib; a positioner coupled to the tube and movable within the container to move the nib; and a controller in communication with the positioner, the controller configured to move the positioner within the container according to a sequence of retrieval attempts, each retrieval attempt offsetting a position of the nib within a horizontal plane by a distance greater than half of a cross-sectional width of the nib. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A device comprising:
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a container; a tube having a first end portion and a second end portion coupled in fluid communication by a hollow core; a nib disposed on the first end portion of the tube, the nib defining an opening in fluid communication with the hollow core; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the tube, the vacuum source controllable to apply a vacuum force through the hollow core to the nib; a positioner coupled to the tube and movable within the container to move the nib; a controller in communication with the positioner, the controller configured to move the positioner within the container according to a sequence of retrieval attempts, each retrieval attempt offsetting a position of the nib within a horizontal plane by a distance greater than half of a cross-sectional width of the nib; and an agitator engaged with the first end portion of the tube that converts an axial force created by a vertical movement of the tube into a horizontal force parallel to the horizontal plane for agitation of dispensable units. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A device comprising:
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a container; a tube having a first end portion and a second end portion coupled in fluid communication by a hollow core; a nib disposed on the first end portion of the tube, the nib defining an opening in fluid communication with the hollow core; a vacuum source in fluid communication with the tube, the vacuum source controllable to apply a vacuum force through the hollow core to the nib; a positioner coupled to the tube and movable within the container to move the nib; and a controller in communication with the positioner, the controller configured to move the positioner within the container according to a sequence of retrieval attempts, each retrieval attempt offsetting a position of the nib within a horizontal plane by a distance greater than half of a cross-sectional width of the nib, wherein each retrieval attempt is associated with a two-dimensional retrieval pattern based on feedback including information related to a previous retrieval attempt.
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14. A method comprising:
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selectively applying a vacuum force to a hollow core defined by a tube, the hollow core in fluid communication with an opening defined by a nib disposed along an end portion of the tube and within a container of dispensable units; moving the opening within the container according to a sequence of retrieval attempts of the dispensable units, each retrieval attempt associated with a different two-dimensional pattern within a horizontal plane through the container; and for each retrieval attempt, offsetting a position of the opening within the horizontal plane by a distance greater than half of a cross-sectional width of the opening. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification