Fork based transport storage system for pharmaceutical unit of use dispenser

• US 20060016824A1
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ScriptPro LLC
• Original Assignee: ScriptPro LLC
• Inventors: Guerra, Lawrence E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/92
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/04 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/42 the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/58 the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/70 in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A medicament storage and dispensing system (10) operable for storing and dispensing products (12) such as pre-packaged pharmaceutical boxes and/or bottles and broadly includes a cabinet (14); a plurality of product shelves (16) mounted within the cabinet; an infeed conveyor (18) for transporting products into the cabinet; an outfeed conveyor (20) for transporting products out of the cabinet; a transporter (22) moveable within the cabinet for transporting products between the shelves and the infeed and outfeed conveyors; and a control system (24) for controlling operation of the conveyors and the transporter in response to prescriptions received from a host computer (26). The shelves having a plurality of vertical walls (56) upon which the products rest and between which tines (130) of the transporter slide in order to retrieve products from and place products upon the shelves.

Claims

1. A storage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing products, the system comprising:

a substantially enclosed cabinet;

an infeed/outfeed mechanism coupled with the cabinet for receiving products that are to be stored in and dispensed from the cabinet, wherein the infeed/outfeed mechanism presents a ribbed surface; and

a transporter enclosed by and moveable within the cabinet for removing products from the infeed/outfeed mechanism and placing products on the infeed/outfeed mechanism, wherein the transporter includes a plurality of tines operable to mate with the ribbed surface of the infeed/outfeed mechanism.

2. The storage and dispensing system as set forth in claim 1, the infeed/outfeed mechanism including:

an infeed conveyor for receiving products that are to be stored in the cabinet, wherein the infeed conveyor presents a ribbed surface; and

an outfeed conveyor for receiving products that are to be dispensed from the cabinet, wherein the outfeed conveyor presents a ribbed surface.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, further including a plurality of sensors coupled with the infeed conveyor for sensing a physical attribute of products placed on the infeed conveyor.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the tines are operable to move products placed thereon to product shelves, and to remove products from the shelves.

5. The system as set forth in claim 2, further including a control system for controlling operation of the infeed conveyor, the outfeed conveyor, and the transporter.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, the control system including a controller, a display, an input device, a scanner, and a label printer.

7. The system as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of shelves mounted within the cabinet, each shelf configured for holding at least one product, wherein the transporter is operable to transport products from the infeed conveyor to the shelves and from the shelves to the outfeed conveyor.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the control system determines a shelf from the plurality of shelves on which to place a product, activates the infeed conveyor to carry a product into the cabinet, deactivates the infeed conveyor when the product is proximate the shelf, and drives the transporter to remove the product from the infeed conveyor and place the product on the shelf.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, the transporter further including a motor for rotating a control arm, thereby moving the tines of the transporter.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9, the transporter further including a brace operable to hold the tines in a substantially horizontal orientation as the control arm moves the tines.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tines slide between the ribs of the infeed/outfeed mechanism and are lifted above the ribs to remove products from the mechanism, and wherein the tines are lowered from above the ribs into a position between the ribs and slid between the ribs to place a product on the mechanism.

12. A storage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing medical products, the system comprising:

a substantially enclosed cabinet sized and configured to be mounted within a building;

a plurality of shelves mounted within the cabinet, each shelf configured for holding a plurality of medical products, the shelves being arranged within the cabinet so that medical products of various sizes may be stored within the cabinet;

an infeed conveyor for receiving products that are to be stored in the cabinet, wherein the infeed conveyor presents a ribbed surface;

an outfeed conveyor for receiving products that are to be dispensed from the cabinet, wherein the outfeed conveyor presents a ribbed surface;

a transporter enclosed by and moveable within the cabinet for transporting medical products from the infeed conveyor to the shelves and from the shelves to the outfeed conveyor, wherein the transporter includes a plurality of tines operable to mate with the ribbed surfaces of the infeed and outfeed conveyors; and

a control system for controlling operation of the infeed conveyor, the outfeed conveyor, and the transporter.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the control system determines a shelf from the plurality of shelves on which to place a product, activates the infeed conveyor to carry a product into the cabinet, deactivates the infeed conveyor when the product is proximate the shelf, and drives the transporter to remove the product from the infeed conveyor and place the product on the shelf.

14. A storage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing products, the system comprising:

a cabinet including a front wall, a rear wall, a left sidewall, a right sidewall, and a top wall that together substantially enclose the cabinet and prevent unauthorized access therein, wherein the rear wall of the cabinet includes a series of mounting slots arranged in row and column configuration;

a plurality of shelves mounted within and substantially enclosed by the cabinet, each shelf having a plurality of substantially vertical walls configured for holding at least one product thereon, wherein each of the shelves is mounted within certain ones of the mounting slots and may be removed and mounted to other ones of the mounting slots to reconfigure placement of the shelves within the cabinet;

an infeed conveyor for receiving products that are to be stored in the cabinet, wherein the infeed conveyor presents a ribbed conveying surface;

an outfeed conveyor for receiving products that are to be dispensed from the cabinet, wherein the outfeed conveyor presents a ribbed conveying surface; and

a single transporter enclosed by and moveable within the cabinet for transporting the products between from the infeed conveyor to the shelves and from the shelves to the outfeed conveyor, the transporter including—

a plurality of tines operable to move the products placed thereon to the shelves and to remove the products from the shelves, wherein the tines mate with the ribbed conveyor surfaces of the infeed and outfeed conveyors, and wherein the tines mate with the vertical walls of the plurality of shelves,

a control arm for controlling the position of the tines,

a motor for rotating the control arm, thereby moving the tines,

a brace operable to hold the tines in a substantially horizontal orientation as the control arm is rotated, and

wherein the tines slide between the vertical walls and are lifted above the shelf in order to remove the products from the shelves.