METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING CUTTING OF A UNIT DOSE BLISTER CARD

• US 20110232435A1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Jaynes, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/13
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/085 for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/28 the control means being responsive to presence or absence of work
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/025 acting upon planar surfaces B26D7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0633 by grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/00 Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1942 Web supporting regularly spaced non-adhesive articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/06 from or with blade, e.g. shear-blade, cutters or perforators from or with revolving blade B65H35/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/086 With sensing of product or product handling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/5669 Work clamp
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/637 With means to initiate operation of member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7487 Means to clamp work

Abstract

An apparatus for facilitating cutting of unit dose blisters from a blister card is provided. The apparatus may include a platform, a clamp, a blade and a sensor. The blister card may be positionable on the platform for cutting. The clamp may be positionable to hold a portion of the blister card in contact with the platform for cutting when the clamp is seated. The clamp may be operatively coupled to a guillotine head. The blade may also be operatively coupled to the guillotine head. The guillotine head may be configured to move the blade through a range of motion that intersects a plane of the platform. The sensor may be positioned to detect a seating status of the clamp to enable control of movement of the guillotine head based on the seating status.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cutting a blister card, the apparatus comprising:

a platform on which the blister card is positionable for cutting;

a clamp positionable to hold a portion of the blister card in contact with the platform for cutting when the clamp is seated, the clamp being operatively coupled to a guillotine head;

a blade operatively coupled to the guillotine head, the guillotine head being configured to move the blade through a range of motion that intersects a plane of the platform; and

a sensor positioned to detect a seating status of the clamp to enable control of movement of the guillotine head based on the seating status.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor determines a location of the clamp relative to the surface of the platform.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guillotine head includes at least one elastic element to which the clamp is operably connected.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one elastic element comprises a compression spring that compresses to enable continued movement of the guillotine head through the range of motion that moves the blade to a position that intersects the plane of the platform to cut the blister card in response to the sensor detecting a seated condition of the clamp.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the seating status after the at least one compression spring begins to compress and before the guillotine head passes the blade through intersection with the plane of the platform.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the clamp comprises a portion of a card holder, the card holder being moveable in a channel defining a base against which the blade makes slidable contact as the at least one compression spring is compressed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a position of a drive motor that moves the guillotine head is compared to a position at which clamp seating is expected to determine the seating status of the clamp.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guillotine head is positioned to provide movement of the guillotine head in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the platform.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a drive motor and a cam configured to convert rotational force from the drive motor to a linear force in the direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the platform.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clamp includes a slot through which a portion of a positioning device is enabled to pass to grip the blister card.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor provides an interrupt signal to prevent cutting by altering movement of the guillotine head in response to an indication that the clamp fails to seat prior to the blade reaching the plane of the platform.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the interrupt signal is provided to a processor configured to control movement of the guillotine head and operation of a drive motor driving motion of the guillotine head.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade is rigidly affixed to the guillotine head and the clamp is flexibly coupled to the guillotine head.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the clamp contacts the blister card prior to the blade reaching the blister card responsive to movement of the guillotine head.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clamp provides pressure to hold a portion of the blister card in contact with the platform such that the pressure increases while the blade initially passes through the plane of the platform.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operably connected to a dispensing robot configured to enable automatic dispensing of unit dose blisters singulated by the apparatus.

17. A method of cutting a blister card, the method comprising:

moving a clamp into contact with a portion of the blister card to press the blister card into contact with a platform;

determining a seating state of the clamp with a sensor; and

enabling cutting of the blister card via a blade in slidable contact with a cutting base in which the clamp is positioned based on the seating state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the seating state comprises determining whether the clamp is fully seated with respect to the blister card and the platform.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein enabling cutting comprises enabling movement of the blade through a plane of the platform in response to the clamp being fully seated.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing an interrupt signal from the sensor in response to the clamp failing to fully seat prior to the blade reaching a plane of the platform.