DEVICE FOR STAGING AND DISPENSING TABLETS USEFUL IN SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPENSING PRESCRIPTIONS

• US 20090039098A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Karwacki, Edward J. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,172,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• 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

A chute assembly for a system configured to dispense objects from a bulk supply of such objects includes: an elongate chute having an open bottom end; a dispensing assembly slidably mounted to a bottom end portion of the chute, the dispensing assembly including a sleeve that receives the bottom end portion of the chute and a door mounted thereto, the sleeve being slidable between a staging position, in which the door covers the bottom end of the chute and thereby stages objects in the bottom end portion of the chute, and a dispensing position, in which the door moves away from the bottom end of the chute to enable objects staged in the bottom end portion of the chute to be dispensed from the chute; and an agitation unit coupled to the dispensing assembly, the agitation unit configured to impart energy to objects staged in the bottom end of the sleeve as the sleeve moves to the dispensing position.

Claims

1. A chute assembly for a system configured to dispense objects from a bulk supply of such objects, comprising:

an elongate chute having an open bottom end;

a dispensing assembly slidably mounted to a bottom end portion of the chute, the dispensing assembly including a sleeve that receives the bottom end portion of the chute and a door mounted thereto, the sleeve being slidable between a staging position, in which the door covers the bottom end of the chute and thereby stages objects in the bottom end portion of the chute, and a dispensing position, in which the door moves away from the bottom end of the chute to enable objects staged in the bottom end portion of the chute to be dispensed from the chute; and

an agitation unit coupled to the dispensing assembly, the agitation unit configured to impart energy to objects staged in the bottom end of the sleeve as the sleeve moves to the dispensing position.

2. The chute assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the sleeve slides generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chute.

3. The chute assembly defined in claim 1, wherein contact between the door and the bottom end portion of the chute moves the door away from the bottom end of the chute.

4. The chute assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the door is pivotally mounted to the sleeve.

5. The chute assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the agitation unit comprises a toothed rack.

6. The chute assembly defined in claim 5, wherein the toothed rack is located on an inner surface of the chute.

7. The chute assembly defined in claim 6, wherein the agitation unit further comprises a member mounted to the dispensing assembly that extends within the open bottom end of the chute and a nub mounted on the member that interacts with the toothed rack as the sleeve moves from the staging position to the dispensing position, the interaction between the nub and the toothed rack causing the member to alternately deflect and recover.

8. The chute assembly defined in claim 5, wherein the agitation unit further comprises an agitation barrel received in the bottom end of the chute, the agitation barrel including teeth that interact with the toothed rack.

9. The chute assembly defined in claim 8, wherein the toothed rack includes helical teeth, and wherein interaction between the agitation barrel teeth and the toothed rack teeth rotates the agitation barrel about an axis generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chute.

10. The chute assembly defined in claim 8, wherein the sleeve includes a projection that contacts the agitation barrel and forces the agitation barrel to translate relative to the chute as the sleeve translates relative to the chute.

11. The chute assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the agitation unit comprises at least one fin that extends radially inwardly.

12. A dispensing system, comprising:

a bulk dispensing bin configured to hold a plurality of objects; and

a chute assembly attached to the bin, comprising;

an elongate chute having an upper end attached to and fed by the bulk dispensing bin and an open bottom end;

a dispensing assembly slidably mounted to a bottom end portion of the chute, the dispensing assembly including a sleeve that receives the bottom end portion of the chute and a door mounted thereto, the sleeve being slidable between a staging position, in which the door covers the bottom end of the chute and thereby stages objects in the bottom end portion of the chute, and a dispensing position, in which the door moves away from the bottom end of the chute to enable objects staged in the bottom end portion of the chute to be dispensed from the chute; and

an agitation unit coupled to the dispensing assembly, the agitation unit configured to impart energy to objects staged in the as the sleeve moves to the dispensing position.

13. The chute assembly defined in claim 12, wherein the sleeve slides generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chute.

14. The chute assembly defined in claim 12, wherein contact between the door and the bottom end portion of the chute moves the door away from the bottom end of the chute.

15. The chute assembly defined in claim 12, wherein the door is pivotally mounted to the sleeve.

16. The chute assembly defined in claim 12, wherein the agitation unit comprises a toothed rack.

17. The chute assembly defined in claim 16, wherein the toothed rack is located on an inner surface of the chute.

18. The chute assembly defined in claim 17, wherein the agitation unit further comprises a member mounted to the dispensing assembly that extends within the open bottom end of the chute and a nub mounted on the member that interacts with the toothed rack as the sleeve moves from the staging position to the dispensing position, the interaction between the nub and the toothed rack causing the member to alternately deflect and recover.

19. The chute assembly defined in claim 16, wherein the agitation unit further comprises an agitation barrel received in the bottom end of the chute, the agitation barrel including teeth that interact with the toothed rack.

20. The chute assembly defined in claim 19, wherein the toothed rack includes helical teeth, and wherein interaction between the agitation barrel teeth and the toothed rack teeth rotates the agitation barrel about an axis generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chute.

21. The chute assembly defined in claim 19, wherein the sleeve includes a projection that contacts the agitation barrel and forces the agitation barrel to translate relative to the chute as the sleeve translates relative to the chute.

22. The chute assembly defined in claim 12, wherein the agitation unit comprises at least one fin that extends radially inwardly.

23. A method of dispensing objects, comprising:

providing a chute assembly in which a plurality of objects are staged, the chute assembly comprising;

an elongate chute having an open bottom end;

a dispensing unit slidably mounted to a bottom end portion of the chute, the dispensing unit including a sleeve that receives the bottom end portion of the chute and a door mounted thereto, the door covering the bottom end of the chute; and

an agitation unit coupled to the dispensing unit;

sliding the sleeve relative to the chute to move the door to an open position away from the bottom end of the chute so that the objects can descend from the bottom end of the chute;

wherein sliding the sleeve relative to the chute causes the agitation unit to impart energy to the objects as they descend, thereby assisting in the prevention of jamming of the objects.

24. The method defined in claim 23, wherein the objects are pharmaceutical tablets.

25. The method defined in claim 23, wherein the sliding step comprises sliding the sleeve generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve.