High capacity drawer with mechanical indicator for a dispensing device

• US 20040108795A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Switalski, Eric J., Bowers, Allen D., Conley, Louis S., Young, Kirk A., Meek, Robert B. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,052,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/218
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0069 bolt position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0002 with electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0004 said core being linearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/026 the bolt moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/462 for two or more drawers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to an assembly comprising a plurality of bins with a plurality of lids associated therewith. Each of the bins has a lock assembly that includes a catch operable to lock the lid in its closed position and a mechanical indicator responsive to the catch. Another aspect of the invention relates to an automated dispensing cabinet that includes a control computer and a plurality of drawers having a plurality of row assemblies therein. Each row assembly has bins that include a tabbed lid, a lock assembly with a catch operable to engage and disengage the tab, and an indicator responsive to the lock assembly. Methods for dispensing from and restocking the remote dispensing systems are also given, as well as a method for indicating which item is to be dispensed from one of a plurality of bins.

Claims

1. An assembly, comprising:

a plurality of bins;

a plurality of lids, each lid being associated with one of said plurality of bins, each of said bins having a notched tab and a touch latch, said notched tab and said touch latch being in one of an engaged state and a disengaged state when said lid is in a closed position;

a lock assembly including a catch operable to prevent said notched tab and said touch latch from changing state; and

a mechanical indicator responsive to said catch.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of bins further comprises:

a front wall;

a back wall connected to said front wall by two side walls;

a base supporting said front wall, said back wall, and said side walls; and

a plurality of partitions extending from said front wall to said back wall.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said front wall includes a lip carrying said indicator and wherein said lid is hingeably attached to said back wall.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said indicator further comprises:

a window located on one of said front wall, said back wall, said side wall, and said partition; and

two types of indicia carried by said catch such that only one of said indicia is viewable at a time through said window.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said indicator changes state simultaneously with movement of said catch.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said lid is comprised of a transparent material.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said lock assembly includes a device operable to produce a feedback signal relative to the positions of said catch and said lid.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said lock assembly includes:

means for moving said catch, said catch carrying two types of indicia representative of whether said catch is engaged or disengaged relative to said tab.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said means for moving includes one of a solenoid, a latching solenoid, a motor, a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an actuator, and an electromagnet.

10. An automated dispensing cabinet, comprising:

a plurality of drawers, wherein at least one of said plurality of drawers includes a plurality of row assemblies, each of said plurality of row assemblies having a plurality of bins wherein each of said plurality of bins includes;

a lid having a tab attached thereto;

a touch latch operable to one of engage and disengage said tab when said lid is in a closed position;

a lock assembly including a catch operable to prevent said notched tab and said touch latch from one of engaging and disengaging; and

a mechanical indicator responsive to said lock assembly and viewable when said lid is in a closed position; and

a control computer operable to lock and unlock said plurality of drawers and to control the position of said catch of each of said bins.

11. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of bins further comprises:

a front wall;

a back wall connected to said front wall by two side walls;

a base supporting said front wall, said back wall, and said side walls; and

a plurality of partitions extending from said front wall to said back wall.

12. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 11 wherein said front wall includes a lip carrying said indicator and wherein said lid is hingeably attached to said back wall.

13. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 10 wherein said indicator further comprises:

a window located on one of said front wall, said back wall, said side wall, and said partition; and

two types of indicia carried by said catch such that only one of said indicia is viewable at a time through said window.

14. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 10 wherein said lid is comprised of a transparent material.

15. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 10 wherein said lock assembly includes a device operable to produce a feedback signal relative to the positions of said catch and said lid, said feedback signal being sent to said control computer.

16. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 10 wherein said control computer includes:

an input device; and

an output device.

17. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 16 wherein said input device is one of a keyboard, a touch screen, a datalink, and scanning device.

18. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 16 wherein said output device is one of a display, printer, and datalink.

19. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 10 wherein said lock assembly includes means for moving said catch, said catch carrying two types of indicia representative of whether said catch is engaged or disengaged relative to said tab.

20. The automated dispensing cabinet of claim 19 wherein said means for moving includes one of a solenoid, a latching solenoid, a motor, a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an actuator, and an electromagnet.

21. A method for dispensing an item contained in remote dispensing system comprising:

granting a user access to said remote dispensing system having a plurality of lockable drawers with a plurality of lockable bins;

accepting dispensing information from said user;

unlocking at least one of said plurality of drawers, wherein said unlocked drawer contains an item to be dispensed;

unlocking at least one of said plurality of bins located within said unlocked drawer while changing the state of a mechanical indicator associated with a bin that has been unlocked;

verifying that said user has closed said unlocked bin; and

locking said at least one of said plurality of bins and said at least one of said plurality of drawers.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising updating the dispensing system'"'"'s inventory.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said unlocking at least one of said plurality of bins further includes simultaneously changing the state of a mechanical indicator associated with a bin that has been unlocked.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said accepting dispensing information further comprises at least one of:

accepting patient information;

accepting item to be dispensed information; and

accepting item quantity to be dispensed information.

25. A method for restocking items contained in a remote dispensing system including a cabinet having with a plurality of drawers, at least one of said plurality of drawers having a plurality of bin row assemblies, said method comprising:

selecting a bin row assembly;

opening said drawer containing said bin row assembly;

identifying said selected bin row assembly;

removing said selected bin row assembly from said drawer;

inserting a restocked bin row assembly in place of said removed selected bin row assembly.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

loading said items into a plurality of bins contained in said restocked bin row assembly at a centralized storage area;

locking said plurality of bins; and

transporting said restocked bin row assembly to said remote dispensing system.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising updating the inventory of said remote dispensing system.

28. A method indicating an item to be dispensed from one of a plurality of bins, each bin having a lockable lid and a mechanical indicator responsive to a latching mechanism, comprising:

unlocking said one bin;

changing the state of a mechanical indicator.

29. An assembly, comprising:

a plurality of bins;

a plurality of lids, each lid being associated with one of said plurality of bins, each of said bins having a notched tab;

a lock assembly including a catch operable to one of engage or disengage said notched tab when said lid is in a closed position; and

a mechanical indicator responsive to said catch.