Passive Device for Staging and Dispensing Objects

• US 20090140002A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• 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: Dummer, Andrew Kirk, Farnsworth, Bryan Patrick, Hilliard, Christopher Todd, Vaders, Dennis, Cora, Jason, Mauger, Jennifer Ann, Parrish, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,061,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/178
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/001 with flow cut-off means, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/007 Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/005 Special arrangements for insuring that only one single article may be dispensed at a time
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A passive chute assembly includes: a chute configured to receive objects to be dispensed, the chute having an outlet; and a passive dispensing unit attached to the chute outlet. The passive dispensing unit has a staging portion, wherein objects are captured prior to dispensing. The staging portion is movable between a staging position, in which objects may be captured within the staging portion, and a dispensing position, in which the objects may be fed gravimetrically into a receptacle positioned below the dispensing unit. The staging portion includes an adaptive opening that, when the staging portion moves to the dispensing position, opens adaptively corresponding to a diameter of the receptacle.

Claims

1. A passive dispensing chute assembly, comprising:

a chute configured to receive objects to be dispensed, the chute having an outlet;

a plurality of staging members, each of the staging members being suspended from and pivotally interconnected with the chute, the staging members being coupled to move together between a staging position, in which lower ends of the staging members are drawn together to form an impassable cone, and a dispensing position, in which the lower ends of the staging members radially withdraw from each other to permit passage of objects therethrough; and

a plurality of contact members, each of the contact members having an upper end that is suspended from and pivotally interconnected with a respective lower end of a staging member, wherein in the staging position, the upper ends of the contact members define a circle having a first circumference, and in the dispensing position, the upper ends of the contact members define a circle having a second circumference that is greater than the first circumference;

wherein contact from underneath forces the contact members to move from the staging position toward the dispensing position.

2. The dispensing chute defined in claim 1, wherein the staging members are biased toward the staging position.

3. The dispensing chute defined in claim 2, wherein the staging members are biased via a spring-loaded mechanism.

4. The dispensing chute defined in claim 2, wherein the staging members are biased toward the staging position by gravity.

5. The dispensing chute defined in claim 1, wherein each of the staging members includes a panel and an overleaf, wherein, when the panels are in the staging position, the panels of the staging members form the impassable cone and each of the overleaves underlies an adjacent panel, such that movement of a panel toward the dispensing position also forces the overleaf of an adjacent panel toward the dispensing position.

6. The dispensing chute defined in claim 5, wherein the panels are generally triangular in shape.

7. The dispensing chute defined in claim 5, wherein each of the overleaves has generally a rounded triangular shape.

8. The dispensing chute defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of staging members comprises six staging members.

9. The dispensing chute defined in claim 1, wherein the chute comprises upper and lower ends, and wherein the lower end is movable relative to the upper end, such that movement of the staging members toward the dispensing position causes the lower end of the chute to move toward the upper end of the chute.

10. A passive dispensing chute assembly, comprising:

a chute configured to receive objects to be dispensed, the chute having an outlet;

a passive dispensing unit attached to the chute outlet, the passive dispensing unit having a staging portion, wherein objects are captured prior to dispensing, the staging portion including a gate member movable between a staging position, in which objects may be captured within the staging portion, and a dispensing position, in which the objects may be fed gravimetrically into a receptacle positioned below the dispensing unit;

the dispensing unit further including a release member, the release member being coupled with the gate member, such that movement of the release member from a staging position to a dispensing position moves the gate member from its staging position to its release position.

11. The chute assembly defined in claim 10, wherein the gate member moves generally within a plane in moving from the staging to the dispensing position, and wherein the plane is generally normal to a path followed by objects being released from the staging portion.

12. The chute assembly defined in claim 11, wherein the release member is configured to move in a direction generally opposite of the path followed by objects being released.

13. The chute assembly defined in claim 11, wherein the release member is rotatable about an axis that is generally parallel to the path followed by objects being released.

14. The chute assembly defined in claim 10, further comprising a spout positioned downstream of the staging portion.

15. The chute assembly defined in claim 14, wherein the spout is attached to the release member.

16. The chute assembly defined in claim 14, wherein the spout comprises a flexible material that enables the spout to conform to receptacles of different diameters.

17. The chute assembly defined in claim 10, wherein the release member is coupled to the gate member such that gravity biases the release member toward the staging position.

18. The chute assembly defined in claim 10, wherein the release member moves in concert with the chute as the release member moves between the staging and dispensing positions.

19. The chute assembly defined in claim 10, wherein the release member moves relative to the chute as the release member moves between the staging and release positions.

20. A passive chute assembly, comprising:

a chute configured to receive objects to be dispensed, the chute having an outlet;

a passive dispensing unit attached to the chute outlet, the passive dispensing unit having a staging portion, wherein objects are captured prior to dispensing, the staging portion being movable between a staging position, in which objects may be captured within the staging portion, and a dispensing position, in which the objects may be fed gravimetrically into a receptacle positioned below the dispensing unit;

the staging portion including an adaptive opening that, when the staging portion moves to the dispensing position, opens adaptively corresponding to a diameter of the receptacle.

21. The passive chute assembly defined in claim 20, wherein the adaptive opening is formed in a flexible spout.

22. The passive chute assembly defined in claim 20, wherein the staging portion comprises a plurality of staging members, each of the staging members being suspended from and pivotally interconnected with the chute, the staging members being coupled to move together between the staging position, in which lower ends of the staging members are drawn together to form an impassable cone, and the dispensing position, in which the lower ends of the staging members radially withdraw from each other to permit passage of objects therethrough, the adaptive opening being formed by the lower ends of the staging members.