Device for dispensing vials useful in system and method for dispensing prescriptions

• US 8,261,936 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: DuMond, Jody, Guthrie, Charles H., Moran, Joseph C. Jr., Young, Demetris P., Abrams, George Raymond Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Rakesh
• Application Number:
  US11/599,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 221/6, 221/217, 221/200, 221/202, 221/254, 221/204, 221/236, 221/253, 221/7, 221/211, 221/252, 221/261, 221/13, 414/288, 414/414, 414/795.4, 198/444, 198/459.2, 198/443, 198/453, 198/399, 198/397, 198/408
• US Class Current: 221/6
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/58 the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing open-ended objects such as pharmaceutical vials includes: a housing having an internal cavity configured to house open-ended objects, the housing including a guide and a floor; a pick-up unit mounted to the housing, the pick-up unit including an endless member and at least one pick-up member attached to the endless member; and a drive unit. The endless member engages the drive unit and the guide for movement relative thereto. As the drive unit drives the endless member, the at least one pick-up member travels on a pick-up path, at least a portion of which is within the housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing singulated open-ended objects, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a guide and an internal cavity configured to house open-ended objects, the housing including a dispensing exit;

a pick-up unit mounted to the housing, the pick-up unit including an endless member and at least one pick-up member attached to the endless member;

a drive unit;

wherein the endless member engages the drive unit and the guide for movement relative thereto;

wherein the at least one pick-up member is mounted to the endless member such that, as the drive unit drives the endless member, the at least one pick-up member travels on a pick-up path, at least a portion of which is within the housing and includes a generally horizontal run and an upward run that merges with the generally horizontal run;

a delivery chute attached to the housing such that an upper end thereof is fed by the dispensing exit, wherein the delivery chute comprises a tube;

a capture mechanism associated with the delivery chute, the capture mechanism movable between a capture position, in which an object cannot pass through the tube of the delivery chute, and a passage position, in which an object can pass through the tube of the delivery chute; and

a controller operably associated with the drive unit and the capture mechanism, the controller being configured to detect when a captured object has passed through the delivery chute and move the capture mechanism back to the capture position responsive thereto.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to activate the drive unit when the capture mechanism moves to the passage position to permit a captured object to pass through the delivery chute.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect when an object delivered by the delivery unit has been captured by the capture mechanism and to deactivate the drive unit responsive thereto.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the capture mechanism includes a capture member that extends into the delivery chute when the capture mechanism is in the capture position, and wherein the capture member has an arcuate upper edge.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the housing contains a plurality of pharmaceutical vials.

6. An apparatus for dispensing singulated open-ended objects, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a guide and an internal cavity configured to house open-ended objects, the housing including a dispensing exit;

a pick-up unit mounted to the housing, the pick-up unit including an endless member and at least one pick-up member attached to the endless member;

a drive unit;

wherein the endless member engages the drive unit and the guide for movement relative thereto;

wherein the at least one pick-up member is mounted to the endless member such that, as the drive unit drives the endless member, the at least one pick-up member travels on a pick-up path, at least a portion of which is within the housing;

a delivery chute attached to the housing such that an upper end thereof is fed by the dispensing exit, wherein the delivery chute comprises a tube having a wall;

a capture mechanism associated with the delivery chute, the capture mechanism movable between a capture position, in which an object cannot pass through the delivery chute, and a passage position, in which an object can pass through the delivery chute, wherein the capture mechanism includes a capture member that extends through an opening in the wall of the tube and into the tube of the delivery chute when the capture mechanism is in the capture position; and

a controller operably associated with the drive unit and the capture mechanism, the controller being configured to detect when a captured object has passed through the delivery chute and move the capture mechanism back to the capture position responsive thereto, the controller further configured to detect when an object delivered by the delivery unit has been captured by the capture mechanism and to deactivate the drive unit responsive thereto.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the portion of the pick-up path that is within the housing includes a generally horizontal run and an upward run that merges with the horizontal run.

8. An apparatus for dispensing singulated open-ended objects, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a guide and an internal cavity configured to house open-ended objects, the housing including a dispensing exit;

a pick-up unit mounted to the housing, the pick-up unit including an endless member and at least one pick-up member attached to the endless member;

a drive unit;

wherein the endless member engages the drive unit and the guide for movement relative thereto;

wherein the at least one pick-up member is mounted to the endless member such that, as the drive unit drives the endless member, the at least one pick-up member travels on a pick-up path, at least a portion of which is within the housing;

a delivery chute attached to the housing such that an upper end thereof is fed by the dispensing exit, wherein the delivery chute comprises a tube having a wall;

a capture mechanism associated with the delivery chute, the capture mechanism movable between a capture position, in which an object cannot pass through the delivery chute, and a passage position, in which an object can pass through the delivery chute, wherein the capture mechanism includes a capture member that extends through an opening in the wall of the tube and into the tube of the delivery chute when the capture mechanism is in the capture position; and

a controller operably associated with the drive unit and the capture mechanism, the controller being configured to detect when a captured object has passed through the delivery chute and move the capture mechanism back to the capture position responsive thereto.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein the portion of the pick-up path that is within the housing includes a generally horizontal run and an upward run that merges with the horizontal run.