STORAGE APPARATUS WITH SUPPORT STRUCTURES

• US 20140034535A1
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Greyshock, Shawn T., Meyer, William A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,045,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/438
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/007 wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/08 arranged in two columns in staggered relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/48 the storage containers or supports, e.g. magazine, being pivotally mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A storage apparatus is provided. The storage apparatus defines a storage cavity having an opening at the upper surface of the storage apparatus with a substantially planar flange extending outwardly from the opening of the storage cavity and defines a plurality of support structures, each support structure (a) having an opening at the upper surface of the storage apparatus and (b) adapted to support the storage apparatus.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the storage apparatus:

defining a storage cavity having an opening at the upper surface of the storage apparatus with a substantially planar flange extending outwardly from the opening of the storage cavity; and

defining a plurality of support structures, each support structure (a) having an opening at the upper surface of the storage apparatus and (b) adapted to support the storage apparatus.

2. The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage apparatus is a blister package.

3. The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein (a) the storage cavity comprises a medication cavity and (b) each support structure has a substantially rectangular cross section.

4. The storage apparatus of claim 3, wherein storage cavity is sized to accept a plurality of different types of medications of different shapes and sizes.

5. The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein each support structure extends in a direction away from the opening of the storage cavity.

6. The storage apparatus of claim 5, wherein (a) the plurality of support structures comprises a first support structure and a second support structure and (b) the first support structure and the second support structure are positioned on opposite sides of storage cavity.

7. The storage apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a backing adhered to the substantially planar flange extending outwardly from the opening of the storage cavity, thereby covering the opening of the storage cavity.

8. The storage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the backing is further adhered to the substantially planar flange extending outwardly from each support structure, thereby covering the opening of each support structure.

9. The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the opening of each support structure at the upper surface of the storage apparatus comprises a substantially planar flange extending outwardly from the opening of the support structure.

10. A stack of storage apparatus, wherein each storage apparatus:

comprises an upper surface and a lower surface;

defines a storage cavity having an opening at the upper surface of the storage apparatus with a substantially planar flange extending outwardly from the opening of the storage cavity; and

defines a plurality of support structures, each support structure (a) having an opening at the upper surface of the storage apparatus and (b) adapted to support the storage apparatus.

11. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each storage apparatus, (a) the storage cavity comprises a medication cavity and (b) each support structure has a substantially rectangular cross section.

12. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 11, wherein for each storage apparatus, the storage cavity is sized to accept a plurality of different types of medications of different shapes and sizes.

13. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each storage apparatus, each support structure extends in a direction away from the opening of the storage cavity.

14. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 13, wherein for each storage apparatus, (a) the plurality of support structures comprises a first support structure and a second support structure and (b) the first support structure and the second support structure are positioned on opposite sides of storage cavity.

15. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 10, wherein each storage apparatus further comprises a backing adhered to the substantially planar flange extending outwardly from the opening of the storage cavity, thereby covering the opening of the storage cavity.

16. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 15, wherein for each storage apparatus, the backing is further adhered to the substantially planar flange extending outwardly from each support structure, thereby covering the opening of each support structure.

17. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 10, wherein stack of storage apparatus are stored in a magazine.

18. The stack of storage apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each storage apparatus, the substantially planar flange extending outwardly from each support structure is substantially parallel to the upper surface of each other storage apparatus.