Multiple cartridge dispensing system
First Claim
1. A dispensing device, comprising:
- multiple storage cartridges, each separable from a main housing, for storing a plurality of articles, of the same or different types, to be dispensed one at a time in predetermined order, said articles being supported along flexible strips stored in said cartridges;
means, separate from said storage cartridges, upon an actuation thereof, for independently dispensing articles from said storage cartridges and regardless of the positional orientation of said dispensing device;
means for supervising the dispensing of said articles including;
first memory means for storing basic dispensing operation instructions,second memory means for storing a dispensing schedule and control instructions for each said cartridge, said schedule and control instructions being specific to the type of article being dispensed from a particular cartridge,logic means for interpreting and executing said basic and specific dispensing instructions, andtime keeping means for providing time and data information;
power supply means for providing power to said logic means and to said time keeping means; and
a housing containing compartments for said storage cartridges, dispensing means, dispensing supervision means, and power supply means.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a portable and positionally insensitive dispensing device and system for dispensing several types of articles, packaged on strips and loaded into separate cartridges, from a single device. Dispensing is controlled from more than one cartridge by means of special clutch mechanisms acting on a common drive shaft. The dispensing device has a control system that is capable of coordinating the dispensing operations of all the cartridge stations. A host computer system permits efficient definition of dispensing schedules and control options for each cartridge station, loads those dispensing parameters into the dispensing device control system, unloads dispensing data from the dispensing device at the end of a dispensing period, and analyzes the degree of compliance of the actual dispensing operations to the dispensing schedule.
157 Citations
85 Claims
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1. A dispensing device, comprising:
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multiple storage cartridges, each separable from a main housing, for storing a plurality of articles, of the same or different types, to be dispensed one at a time in predetermined order, said articles being supported along flexible strips stored in said cartridges; means, separate from said storage cartridges, upon an actuation thereof, for independently dispensing articles from said storage cartridges and regardless of the positional orientation of said dispensing device; means for supervising the dispensing of said articles including; first memory means for storing basic dispensing operation instructions, second memory means for storing a dispensing schedule and control instructions for each said cartridge, said schedule and control instructions being specific to the type of article being dispensed from a particular cartridge, logic means for interpreting and executing said basic and specific dispensing instructions, and time keeping means for providing time and data information; power supply means for providing power to said logic means and to said time keeping means; and a housing containing compartments for said storage cartridges, dispensing means, dispensing supervision means, and power supply means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A dispensing system comprising:
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one or more dispensing devices, each dispensing device including multiple storage cartridges, each separable from a main housing, for storing a plurality of articles, of the same or different types, to be dispensed one at a time in predetermined order, said articles being supported along flexible strips stored in said cartridges; means, separate from said storage cartridges, upon an actuation thereof, for independently dispensing articles from said storage cartridges and regardless of the positional orientation of said dispensing device; dispensing supervision means including; first memory means for storing basic dispensing operation instructions; second memory means for storing dispensing schedule and control instructions for each said cartridge, said schedule and control instructions being specific to the type of article being dispensed from a particular cartridge; logic means for interpreting and executing said basic and specific dispensing instructions; time keeping means for providing time and data information; means for communicating data to and from said dispensing device; power supply means for providing power to said logic means, time keeping means and communicating means; a housing containing compartments for said storage cartridges, dispensing means, dispensing supervision means, and power supply means; and a host computer system for transmitting dispensing schedules and instructions to said dispensing devices, and receiving dispensing operations data from said dispensing devices. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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Specification