Method and apparatus for transferring objects

• US 6,499,270 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pyxis Corp. (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pyxis Corp. (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peroni, Günther, Martelli, Giuseppina
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARMON, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US09/755,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 53/53, 535/51, 535/52, 535/54, 535/55, 534/50, 534/51, 532/72, 532/76, 414/331.05, 414/331, 198/346.2, 198/369.1, 198/370.03, 493/187
• US Class Current: 53/53
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/023 Packaging fluent material B65B9/04 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is an automated and integrated method and apparatus for packaging, loading, storing, and/or retrieving a specified product. A preferred embodiment of a system comprises a packager, a feeder device, a magazine, an unloading device, and a control unit. The packager is adapted to package a predetermined quantity of a product in a package. The feeder device has a loading screw which engages the package and transfers it to a storage screw in the magazine. The magazine preferably comprises multiple horizontal rows of storage screws. Each horizontal row of storage screws may be individually rotated about a central axis of the magazine. The control unit maintains a data base of the location and contents of each package in the magazine. The unloading device is adapted to retrieve a desired package from the magazine. The unloading device then transfers the desired package to a predetermined location such as a tote, bin, or patient specific drawer.

Claims

1. A system for transferring items comprising:

a) a packaging machine adapted to package at least one item in a package having a hole therethrough, said packaging machine adapted to transfer said package to a first position; and

b) a first transfer device having a loading screw adapted to rotate in a first direction in order to receive said package when said package is in said first position and in a second direction opposite said first direction in order to transfer said package, said transfer device being adapted to retrieve said package from said packaging machine when said package is in said first position by engaging said package through the hole in said package such that said package hangs from a position between threads of the loading screw, and to transfer said package to a predetermined location by rotating the loading screw to thereby move said hanging package along an axis of the loading screw, and said transfer device further being adapted to move said loading screw such that said loading screw is abutted against and coupled with a desired storage screw, said first transfer device adapted to transfer said package from said loading screw to said desired storage screw by jointly rotating said loading screw and desired storage screw; and

c) a storage device having at least one storage screw and being adapted for receiving said package from said first transfer device when said package is in a predetermined location, said storage device also having at least one level comprised of at least one said storage screw and being adapted to rotate said desired storage screw to a transfer position to enable said first transfer device to couple said loading screw with said desired storage screw;

wherein said packaging machine, said first transfer device and said storage device are adapted to operate automatically.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said packaging machine includes a hopper adapted to distribute a predetermined quantity of said item into said package.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second transfer device adapted to receive said package at said predetermined location and to transfer said package to a second position.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said second transfer device comprises:

at least one suction hose which is connected to a vacuum device;

wherein said second transfer device is adapted to use suction to engage said package and transfer said package to said second position.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said second transfer device further comprises:

at least one sensor adapted to sense the presence of said at least one item in said package;

wherein said second transfer device is adapted to route packages which do not contain the correct quantity of said item away from said first transfer device.

6. The system of claim 3 further comprising a third transfer device that comprises a transfer screw adapted to engage said package when said package is in said second position and to transfer said package to a third position.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said first transfer device is adapted to rotate at least about 180 degrees between said position at which said first transfer device receives said package and said position at which said package is in said predetermined location.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said first transfer device is adapted to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane between said position at which said first transfer device receives said package and said position at which said package is in said predetermined location.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said first transfer device is adapted to rotate in a substantially vertical plane between said position at which aid first transfer device receives said package and said position at which said package is in said predetermined location.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said first transfer device is further adapted to move up and down in a substantially vertical plane in order to transfer said package to said predetermined location.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said loading screw is adapted to rotate in a first direction in order to engage said package when said package is in said first position and in a second direction opposite said first direction in order to disengage said package when said package is in said predetermined location.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said first transfer device is adapted to move said loading screw in a substantially horizontal plane such that said loading screw is abutted against and coupled with said desired storage screw.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said storage device has a plurality of levels, each of said plurality of levels comprised of at least one storage screw; and

said storage device is adapted to rotate the level having said desired storage screw independently of the other levels.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said desired storage screw is adapted to store a plurality of objects.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a turret-style storage device.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a rotatable turret mechanism.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a rotatable multi-turret mechanism adapted for independent turret rotation with respect to other turrets of said mechanism.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a rotatable turret mechanism adapted to hold a plurality of items in packages that are carried on said turret.