Pill dispensing system

• US 6,176,392 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automated Prescription Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Bergeron, Michael, Dolores, Allan, William, Jeffrey P., Potepalov, Galina
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US09/205,246
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 221/107, 221/108, 221/109, 221/310, 221/311
• US Class Current: 221/109
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/045 in a circular arrangement, e.g. towers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/32 two or magazines having a common delivery chute
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A pill dispensing system includes a shelving unit in array form that holds a number of bulk containers, each holding a bulk amount of a pill to be dispensed. A computer controlled robot removes a selected bulk container and places it on a counter that also dispenses pills. The robot has an arm with a free end portion that can grip a bulk container or a single pill bottle to be filled. The robot is computer controlled to retrieve an empty pill bottle, place it on a label printing and applying unit, then place it next to the counter/dispenser to receive the selected number of selected prescription pills, then place the filled, labeled bottle on a conveyor. In an alternate embodiment, pill bottles are dispensed from a dispenser that holds bottles on inclined plates and feeds them to a vertical dispensing channel. Gates prevent the flow of bottles from an inclined position until the plate above has been emptied.

Claims

1. A bottle dispensing apparatus comprising:

a) a frame having a supporting base, a pair of side walls with a space therebetween, and a bottle dispensing opening;

b) a plurality of inclined plates positioned in between the side walls and supported by the frame, each inclined plate being sized to carry a plurality of bottles to be dispensed, the plates being inclined to move bottles toward an end of each of the plates;

c) the frame having a dispensing channel for dispensing bottles from an upper end of the frame to a lower end of the frame;

d) a plurality of gates positioned respectively at an end of the plates, each gate being positioned to control the flow of bottles from at least two of the inclined plates to the channel, each gate being movable between open and closed positions;

e) the gates being configured to open when the dispensing channel is emptied of bottles at the gate;

f) wherein each gate has a generally v-shaped portion having a recess said v-shaped portion enabling a portion of one gate to nest in the recess of another gate; and

g) the frame having an outlet on the frame that dispenses bottles, the outlet receiving bottles from the dispensing channel.

2. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame has a front with a said dispensing channel including side portions defined by a portion of each of the side walls.

3. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the plates has a front and a rear portion, the front portion being next to the dispensing channel and lower than the rear portion.

4. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a plurality of the plates are parallel to other of the plates.

5. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a plurality of the plates are generally flat.

6. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each gate has a blocking portion that prevents bottles from exiting a selected plate until all bottles have been dispensed from all of the plates above said selected plate.

7. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each gate comprises a blocking portion that prevents the flow of bottles from a plate when the gate is in the closed position, and a counterweight for moving the gate into an open position.

8. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rear of the frame has openings that communicate with the plate for adding bottles to the plates.

9. A bottle dispensing apparatus comprising:

a) a frame having a supporting base that supports a plurality of bottle holding plates, each plate being sized to carry a plurality of bottles to be dispensed, and including a biasing portion for moving bottles toward a selected end of each of the plates;

b) the frame having a channel for dispensing bottles from the plates;

c) a plurality of gates at an end of each of the respective plurality of the plates, each gate being positioned to control the flow of bottles from one or more plates, each gate being movable between open and closed positions;

d) each gate having a force transmitting member that urges the gate toward an open position;

e) the gates being configured to open one at a time as the plate above the gate is emptied of bottles;

f) wherein each gate has a generally V-shaped portion having a recess said V-shaped portion enabling a portion of one gate to nest in the recess of another gate;

g) at least two gates overlapping so that two gates simultaneously block the path of the same bottle on a plate.

10. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein the gates are of the same general configuration.

11. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein the force transmitting member comprises a counterweight attached to each gate for moving the gates toward the open position.

12. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein the channel extends along a path that is next to an end of each of the plates.

13. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plates are inclined and the channel extends along a path that is next to a lower end of each of the plates.

14. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein one or more bottles traveling in the channel next to a gate hold that gate in a closed position.

15. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plates empty one at a time during use.

16. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plates empty of bottles one at a time during use, beginning with plates that are higher in the frame.

17. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of cylindrically-shaped bottles and wherein each of the plates carries a plurality of said cylindrically-shaped bottles.

19. A container dispensing apparatus comprising:

a) a plurality of generally cylindrically-shaped containers to be dispensed;

b) a frame having a supporting base that supports a plurality of container holding plates, each plate being sized to carry a plurality of said container to be dispensed, and including a portion that is configured to move container along each plate toward a selected end of each said plate;

c) the frame having a vertical channel for dispensing bottles from the highest of the plates that has bottles on it;

d) the channel and plates being configured to dispense containers from the plates one plate at a time into the channel;

e) a gate at an end of at least some of said plates, each gate being positioned to prevent the flow of containers from at least two of the plates when the gate is closed, each gate being movable between open and closed positions;

f) each of the gates being configured to open when a plate above a particular gate empties of bottles and the level of bottles in the channel drops to a position that is below the said particular gate; and

g) wherein each gate has a generally V-shaped portion having a recess said V-shaped portion enabling a portion of one gate to nest in the recess of another gate.

18. The bottle dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the bottles are stored horizontally within the frame on the plates during use.

20. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein each gate is held in the closed position by containers that are next to that gate and occupying the channel.

21. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the channel is configured so that bottles move from a higher to a lower position within the channel during use.

22. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the channel is inclined.

23. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the channel is generally vertically oriented.

24. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the gates are movable between open and closed positions and a gate is maintained in a closed position when the channel is filled with bottles next to said gate.

25. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the gates are movable between open and closed positions and each gate is maintained in a closed position when the channel is filled with containers at least next to said gate, and at least some of the gates span across an end two of the inclined plates.

26. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the gates pivotally attach to the frame and pivot between open and closed positions.

27. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 19 wherein the plates are inclined and the front of each plate is lower than the rear of each plate.

28. The container dispensing apparatus of claim 27 wherein the channel is positioned next to the front of each plate.