Automated supply cart and system

• US 6,876,902 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aleks D. Nikolich
• Original Assignee: Aleks D. Nikolich
• Inventors: Nikolich, Aleks D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US10/077,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700/237, 700/241, 700/244, 700/242, 705/28
• US Class Current: 700/242
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/105 Cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/18 Cupboards; Drawers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses

Abstract

The apparatus includes a storage cart in a storage area and supply carts in user areas at substantial distances from the storage area. The user carts are constantly open, and accessible to anyone, for a user to actuate to register on a computer unit the articles that are placed in and removed from the bins in the supply carts. The apparatus includes supplemental units detachably applied to the supply carts, having push-buttons corresponding to the bins in the supply carts. A running tally of the articles placed in and removed from the supply carts is maintained in a computer monitor by simple steps made by the user in so placing the articles in and removing them from the supply carts, without a separate operation for counting the articles.

Claims

1. A method for distributing a plurality of articles of different kinds, comprising the steps,

providing a storage area and a cart in the storage area,

the storage cart having a plurality of bins for supporting and identifying said articles,

providing a plurality of receiver areas at substantial distances from the storage areas and the receiver areas being adapted to be occupied by receivers capable of receiving said articles,

providing a plurality of supply carts at distributed locations, the supply carts having bins respectively identical with the bins in the storage cart and having indicia identifying said articles put therein,

the supply carts being open and thereby enabling any person to withdraw articles therefrom and transport them to the receiver area,

providing supplemental panels having manually actuated means for registering articles placed in and withdrawn from the supply bins,

manually actuating the registering means, and

utilizing a computer means to register the difference in the predetermined full stocking level of the supply bin and the number of articles in the supply bin, and

utilizing a computer means to register the difference in the said difference and the number of articles in its respective storage bin.

2. A method according to claim 1 and

providing a security camera and utilizing it for operably photographing the supply cart throughout said predetermined period of operation of the supply cart.

3. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing a bar code reader as an auxiliary means of registering articles placed in and withdrawn from the bins.

4. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing a radio-frequency (RF) identification reader as an auxiliary means of requesting articles placed in and withdrawn from the bins.

5. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing an infrared (IR) reader as an auxiliary means of requesting articles placed in and withdrawn from the bins.

6. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, submitting a charge event to a billing system when a user is identified and an article is withdrawn from a bin.

7. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, submitting an assignment event to a manufacturing management system when a user is identified and an article is withdrawn from a bin.

8. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, maintaining the supply cart in open condition indefinitely, withdrawing articles continuously throughout a predetermined overall period, independently of operation of other steps, and restocking articles from the storage cart through the supply cart, independently of other steps.

9. A method according to claim 8 and including the steps of providing a single such storage cart, and a plurality of such supply carts at locations at substantial distances from the storage cart and from each other, and

utilizing each supply cart independently from each other for registering said differences.

10. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing an auxiliary keypad as an auxiliary means of requestin articles placed in and withdrawn from the bins.

11. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing a bar code reader as an auxiliary means to identify the users of the articles withdrawn.

12. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing a radio-frequency (RF) identification reader as an auxiliary means to identify the users of the articles withdrawn.

13. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing an infrared (IR) reader as an auxiliary means to identify the users of the articles withdrawn.

14. A method according to claim 1, and including the steps, utilizing an auxiliary keypad as an auxiliary means to identify the users of the articles withdrawn.

15. Apparatus for use in distributing a plurality of articles of different kinds throughout a facility that has a central storage area, and a plurality of user areas distributed in the facility at substantial distances from the storage area, comprising,

a storage cart in the storage area having a plurality of storage bins for holding a corresponding number of said articles of different kinds,

an open supply cart adjacent to each of the user areas and having supply bins for receiving and holding said articles, and the supply cart having labels individually identifying articles in the supply bins,

supplemental panels having push buttons operably associated with the supply bins,

the apparatus including a computer for registering signals from the push buttons,

the computer being operably associated with each supply cart, and operable in response to actuation of the push buttons in the respective supplemental panel for recording the withdrawing of articles from and the placing of articles in the supply bins,

and including means for providing alert signal in response to the presence of hazardous materials in the articles.