Cabinet System

• US 20110140831A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArXium, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Original Assignee: AutoMed Technologies Incorporated (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: Michael, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.31
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2067/025 having safety means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 67/02 Cabinets for shaving tackle, medicines, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/40 Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/457 operated by electrically-powered actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/06 dispensing from top for spring-urged trays or plates B65G1/07
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0094 Mechanical aspects of remotely controlled locks electronic locks G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/00 Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means electric permutation locks E05B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/462 for two or more drawers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/18 Recessed drawers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/60 the storage containers or supports being rectilinearly movable
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A cabinet system for securely storing items includes a cabinet housing, a controller, and at least one drawer unit. The cabinet housing has a locking mechanism, and the controller is in communication with the cabinet housing and configured to operate the locking mechanism. The drawer unit is designed to be releasably locked at least partially within the cabinet housing by the locking mechanism, and slidable within a portion of the cabinet housing when released by the locking mechanism. The drawer unit includes at least one storage compartment, a cover, memory, and a power source. The storage compartment is configured to store at least one item therein. The cover is movable to an open configuration and a closed configuration. When the cover is in the closed configuration, the cover limits access to the item of the storage compartment. The memory is powered by the power source and is configured to store data associated with a movement of the cover.

Claims

1. A medical item storage cabinet system, comprising:

a cabinet including a plurality of drawer bays and a data bus, each bay being configured to slidably accept a drawer and permit movement of the drawer between an open and closed position;

a plurality of drawers, each drawer slideable within a respective bay of the cabinet, one or more of the plurality of drawers including;

at least one compartment secured closed by a cover movable between open and closed positions to permit access to the compartment;

an electronic memory attached to the drawer which moves with the drawer when the drawer is moved and which stores movement data representative of movement of the cover;

a cover monitoring device coupled to the memory to permit the memory to store movement data; and

a connector attached to the drawer and coupled to the memory, the connector being configured to make contact with the data bus when the drawer is in the closed position, and disconnect from the data bus when the drawer is in the open position; and

a locking mechanism for selectively locking each drawer within its respective bay in a closed position; and

a controller coupled to the data bus, the controller operating the locking mechanism, and being operable to store data representative of the information stored in the electronic memory of a drawer when the drawer is moved such that the respective electrical connector makes contact with the data bus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a power source coupled to each electronic memory.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the power source is one of a rechargeable battery or a capacitor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the cover is a continuous belt including at least one opening, the belt being moveable to permit access to a compartment.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cover monitoring device is a switch having a plurality of contacts which operate as the electronic memory, the state of the contacts being changeable by movement of the switch to store data representative of the movement of the cover.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the cover is a continuous belt including at least one opening, the belt being moveable to permit access to a compartment and the switch interacting with the belt to change the state of the contacts in response to movement of the belt when the respective drawer is in its open position.

7. A cabinet system for securely storing items, comprising:

a cabinet housing having a locking mechanism;

a controller associated with the cabinet housing and configured to operate the locking mechanism; and

at least one drawer unit releasably locked at least partially within the cabinet housing by the locking mechanism, and slidable within a portion of the cabinet housing when released by the locking mechanism, the drawer unit comprising;

at least one storage compartment configured to store at least one item therein;

a cover being movable to an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein the cover limits access to the at least one item of the storage compartment when the cover is in the closed configuration; and

an electronic memory configured to store data associated with a movement of the cover; and

a power source configured to power the electronic memory.

8. The cabinet system of claim 7, wherein the cover is slidable relative to the storage compartment, and wherein the cover slides from the open configuration to the closed configuration.

9. The cabinet system of claim 8, wherein the drawer unit further comprises an electric motor configured to slide the cover relative to the storage compartment when directed to do so by the controller.

10. The cabinet system of claim 9, wherein the electronic memory is configured to store data associated with the movement of the cover when the movement occurs without being driven by the electric motor.

11. The cabinet system of claim 9, wherein the electronic memory is only configured to store data associated with the movement of the cover when the movement occurs without being driven by the electric motor.

12. The cabinet system of claim 9, further comprising a sensor configured to detect the movement of the cover, the sensor coupled to the electronic memory and configured to provide the data to the electronic memory.

13. The cabinet system of claim 9, wherein the electric motor is configured to generate a signal when driven by a manual sliding of the cover, and wherein the electronic memory is configured to receive the signal and to store data representative of the signal.

14. The cabinet system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to retrieve data from the electronic memory when the drawer unit is locked within the cabinet housing, and wherein the controller is decoupled from the electronic memory when the drawer unit is slid at least partially out of the cabinet housing.

15. The cabinet system of claim 14, further comprising an alarm configured to be triggered in response to data from the electronic memory representing an unauthorized movement of the cover.

16. The cabinet system of claim 7, wherein the power source comprises at least one of a battery, a capacitor, and electricity generated by an electric motor coupled to the cover.

17. A cabinet system for securely storing items, comprising:

a cabinet housing having a locking mechanism;

a controller associated with the cabinet housing and configured to operate the locking mechanism;

at least one drawer unit releasably locked at least partially within the cabinet housing by the locking mechanism, and slidable within a portion of the cabinet housing when released by the locking mechanism, the drawer unit comprising;

at least one storage compartment configured to store at least one item therein; and

a belt slidable relative to the storage compartment to an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein the belt limits access to the at least one item of the storage compartment when the belt is in the closed configuration; and

an electronic memory configured to store data representative of a movement of the belt.

18. The cabinet system of claim 17, wherein the drawer unit further comprises an electric motor configured to slide the belt relative to the storage compartment when directed to do so by the controller.

19. The cabinet system of claim 18, wherein the electronic memory is configured to store data representative of the movement of the belt when the movement occurs without being driven by the electric motor.

20. The cabinet system of claim 18, wherein the electronic memory is only configured to store data representative of the movement of the belt when the movement occurs without being driven by the electric motor.

21. The cabinet system of claim 18, wherein the belt includes an opening therein, wherein when the opening of the belt is aligned with an opening of the storage compartment, the belt is in the open configuration, and wherein when the opening of the belt does not overlap with the opening of the storage compartment, the belt is in the closed configuration.

22. The cabinet system of claim 21, wherein the storage compartment is a first storage compartment of a first volume, and wherein the drawer unit includes a second storage compartment of a second volume.

23. The cabinet system of claim 22, wherein the opening in the belt is a first opening of a first size configured to be aligned with the opening of the first storage compartment to provide access to the at least one item stored in the first storage compartment, and wherein the belt includes a second opening of a second size configured to be aligned with an opening of the second storage compartment to provide access to the at least one item stored in the second storage compartment.

24. The cabinet system of claim 18, wherein the controller is only in communication with the electric motor when the drawer unit is locked within the cabinet housing.

25. The cabinet system of claim 24, wherein the electric motor is configured such that a signal is generated by the electric motor being driven by a manual sliding of the belt, and wherein the electronic memory is configured to receive the signal and to store data representative of the signal.

26. The cabinet system of claim 17, further comprising an alarm configured to be triggered in response to data from the electronic memory representing an unauthorized movement of the belt.

27. A cabinet system for securely storing items, comprising:

a cabinet housing having a locking mechanism;

at least one drawer unit releasably locked at least partially within the cabinet housing by the locking mechanism, and slidable within a portion of the cabinet housing when released by the locking mechanism, the drawer unit comprising;

at least one storage compartment configured to store at least one item therein, and

a cover being movable to an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein the cover limits access to the at least one item of the storage compartment when the cover is in the closed configuration;

an electronic memory coupled to the cover and configured to store data representative of a movement of the cover;

a controller associated with the cabinet housing and configured to operate the locking mechanism, and to permit an authorized access to the at least one item of the storage compartment; and

an alarm configured to be triggered in response to the cover being moved without the controller having authorized access to the at least one item of the storage compartment.

28. The cabinet system of claim 27, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of a visual signal or an audio signal.

29. The cabinet system of claim 27, wherein the alarm is a silent alarm configured to notify a pre-determined person by email.