Linear dispensing system with universal escapement
First Claim
1. A linear dispensing system comprising:
- a plurality of channels configured to hold inventory products of different types and shapes at an orientation;
a linear track assembly including one or more linear motor modules, rails and one or more carriers slidably engaged at the rails, the linear motor module being disposed at the rails and having a linear synchronous motor to move the carrier, the carrier magnetically communicating with the linear motor module and having a conveyor unit configured to pick the inventory products from selected channels, the carrier conveyor unit including a guide mechanism having a first guide member and a second guide member movably disposed at an upper surface of the carrier conveyor unit to guide the inventory product along the conveyor unit in substantially the same orientation as in the channel;
a labeler module configured to label the inventory products at substantially the same orientation; and
,a discharge guide assembly for receiving the inventory products from the carriers and including a feeder portion and a support portion that cooperate to form a chute for directing the inventory product to the labeler module at substantially the same orientation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A linear dispensing system is provided that includes a plurality of channels, a pair of parallel rails, a plurality of carriers and a plurality of linear motor modules. The channels are configured to hold inventory products at an orientation. The pair of parallel rails is disposed at a bottom portion of the channels. The carriers are slidably disposed on the rails and have a conveyor unit configured to pick the inventory product from the channels while substantially maintaining the same geometric orientation as in the channel. The linear motor modules are disposed between the parallel rails and aligned end to end. The linear motor modules are coupled with the carriers and configured to pass the carriers to an adjacent linear motor module. Each carrier delivers a plurality of selected products of varying shapes to a universal escapement structure where the products are labeled, imaged, verified and dispensed.
58 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A linear dispensing system comprising:
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a plurality of channels configured to hold inventory products of different types and shapes at an orientation; a linear track assembly including one or more linear motor modules, rails and one or more carriers slidably engaged at the rails, the linear motor module being disposed at the rails and having a linear synchronous motor to move the carrier, the carrier magnetically communicating with the linear motor module and having a conveyor unit configured to pick the inventory products from selected channels, the carrier conveyor unit including a guide mechanism having a first guide member and a second guide member movably disposed at an upper surface of the carrier conveyor unit to guide the inventory product along the conveyor unit in substantially the same orientation as in the channel; a labeler module configured to label the inventory products at substantially the same orientation; and
,a discharge guide assembly for receiving the inventory products from the carriers and including a feeder portion and a support portion that cooperate to form a chute for directing the inventory product to the labeler module at substantially the same orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A linear dispensing system comprising:
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a plurality of channels configured to hold inventory products of different types and shapes at an orientation; a pair of parallel rails disposed at a bottom portion of the channels; a plurality of carriers slidably disposed on the rails, the carriers having a conveyor unit configured to pick the inventory products from selected channels, the carrier conveyor units each including a guide mechanism having a first guide member and a second guide member movably disposed at an upper surface of the carrier conveyor unit to guide the inventory product along the conveyor unit in substantially the same orientation as in the channel; a plurality of linear motor modules disposed between the parallel rails and aligned end to end, the linear motor modules being coupled with the carriers and configured to pass the carriers to an adjacent linear motor module; and
,a discharge guide assembly configured to receive the inventory products from the carriers and including a feeder portion and a support portion that cooperate to form a chute to direct the inventory products for labeling at substantially the same orientation. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A linear dispensing system comprising:
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a plurality of channels configured to hold inventory products of different types and shapes at an orientation; a linear track assembly including one or more linear motor modules, rails and one or more carriers slidably engaged at the rails, the linear motor module being disposed at the rails and having a linear synchronous motor to move the carrier, the carrier magnetically communicating with the linear motor module and having a drive chain configured to pick a plurality of inventory products of different shapes from the channels and substantially maintain each product in the same orientation as in the channel; a labeler module configured to label the inventory products at substantially the same orientation; a universal escapement assembly configured to receive the inventory products of different shapes from the carrier in substantially the same orientation; the universal escapement assembly including a slide plate having a glass portion integrally disposed on the slide plate; and a reader disposed behind the glass portion of the slide plate to read informational indicia on the inventory products and scan images of the inventory products before labeling. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A linear dispensing system comprising:
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a plurality of channels configured to hold inventory products of different types and shapes at an orientation; a pair of parallel rails disposed at a bottom portion of the channels; a plurality of carriers slidably disposed on the rails, the carriers having a drive chain configured to pick a plurality of inventory products of different shapes from the channels and substantially maintain each product in the same orientations as in the channel; a plurality of linear motor modules disposed between the parallel rails and aligned end to end, the linear motor modules being coupled with the carriers and configured to pass the carriers to an adjacent linear motor module; a labeler module configured to label the inventory products of different shapes; a universal escapement assembly configured to receive the inventory products of different shapes from the carrier in substantially the same orientation; the universal escapement assembly including a slide plate having a glass portion integrally disposed on the side plate; and a reader disposed behind the glass portion of the slide plate to read informational indicia on the inventory products and scan images of the inventory products before labeling. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification