UNIVERSAL FEED MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC PACKAGER

• US 20190112080A1
• Filed: 10/15/2018
• Published: 04/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Holmes, William K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,583,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/30 Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/12 by gravity
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/18 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/14 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/20 Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles other applications B65B65/08

Abstract

An automatic packager including a cartridge and a cartridge mechanism is provided. The cartridge for the automatic packager includes a reservoir for storing a plurality of medications and a wheel including a bottom portion placed in the reservoir. The cartridge also includes a scooping member provided on the wheel to rotate with the wheel and singulate a medication from the reservoir. The cartridge mechanism for the automatic packager includes a platform configured to receive a medication from a cartridge and a camera system. The cartridge mechanism also includes an electronic processor coupled to the camera system configured to dispense the medication from the cartridge in response to determining that the expected medication is delivered to the platform and return the medication to the cartridge in response to determining that the expected medication is not delivered to the platform.

Claims

1. A cartridge for an automatic packager, the cartridge comprising:

a reservoir for storing a plurality of medications;

a wheel including a bottom portion placed in the reservoir, the wheel being rotatable with respect to the reservoir; and

a scooping member provided on the wheel to rotate with the wheel and singulate a medication from the reservoir.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the scooping member includes an inward projection extending inward into the wheel, and wherein the reservoir includes a curved shape to direct the plurality of medications toward the inward projection when the scooping member is within the reservoir.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the scooping member includes a stopper along a circumferential end of the inward projection to hold the medication as the wheel is rotated.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, further comprising a holding pin extending through the wheel and the scooping member, wherein the medication is singulated by holding a single medication between the holding pin, the stopper, and the circumferential end of the scooping member.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, further comprising a cam and follower mechanism coupled to the holding pin and configured to advance and retract the holding pin in the scooping member.

6. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein the cam and follower mechanism is configured to advance the holding pin when the scooping member is rotated past the bottom portion of the wheel and retract the holding pin when the scooping member is rotated past a top portion of the wheel.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the wheel includes teeth provided on an outer circumferential surface of the wheel, wherein the teeth interlock with teeth of a motor assembly, and wherein the motor assembly rotates the wheel.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a spout portion provided above the reservoir to guide medications from a bulk container of medications to the reservoir.

9. The cartridge of claim 8, further comprising a reservoir cover pivotably coupled to the spout portion to pivot between an open position and a closed position.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising an RFID tag configured to store information of the cartridge.

11. A cartridge mechanism for an automatic packager, the cartridge mechanism comprising:

a platform configured to receive a medication from a cartridge;

a camera system;

an electronic processor coupled to the camera system, the electronic processor configured to

control the camera system to capture an image of the platform;

determine whether an expected medication was delivered to the platform based on the image;

in response to determining that the expected medication is delivered to the platform, dispense the medication from the cartridge; and

in response to determining that the expected medication is not delivered to the platform, return the medication to the cartridge.

12. The cartridge mechanism of claim 11, further comprising:

a shuttle provided above the platform that moves medications from the platform to a first position and a second position; and

a shuttle drive coupled to the shuttle, the shuttle drive drives the shuttle between the platform, the first position, and the second position,

wherein the electronic processor is further configured to;

control the shuttle drive to drive the shuttle to the first position to dispense the medication from the cartridge; and

control the shuttle drive to drive the shuttle to the second position to return the medication to the cartridge.

13. The cartridge mechanism of claim 12, wherein the shuttle is above a reservoir of the cartridge when the shuttle is in the first position and wherein the shuttle is above a conduit of the cartridge when the shuttle is in the second position.

14. The cartridge mechanism of claim 13, further comprising a pill sensor provided alongside the conduit that detects whether the medication is dispensed through the conduit.

15. The cartridge mechanism of claim 12, further comprising a motor assembly that drives a singulating mechanism of the cartridge, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to control the motor assembly to deliver the medications to the platform.

16. The cartridge mechanism of claim 15, further comprising a position sensor that detects a position of the singulating mechanism and provides position signals indicating the position of the singulating mechanism to the electronic processor, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to determine that the medication is delivered to the platform based on the position signals received from the position sensor.

17. The cartridge mechanism of claim 12, wherein the camera system includes:

a mirror placed above the platform at an angle; and

a camera that captures the image of the platform using the mirror.

18. The cartridge mechanism of claim 12, further comprising an antenna, wherein the electronic processor is coupled to the antenna and is further configured to:

read, using the antenna, an RFID tag of the cartridge to determine a type of medication being dispensed from the cartridge.

19. The cartridge mechanism of claim 12, further comprising a lighting system controlled by the electronic processor, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to control the lighting system to illuminate contents of the platform when the camera system is capturing the image of the platform.

20. A method of dispensing medications from a cartridge using a cartridge mechanism, the method comprising:

delivering a medication to a platform of the cartridge mechanism;

controlling, using an electronic processor, a camera system to capture an image of the platform;

determining, using the electronic processor, whether an expected medication was delivered to the platform based on the image;

in response to determining that the expected medication is delivered to the platform, dispensing the medication from the cartridge; and

in response to determining that the expected medication is not delivered to the platform, returning the medication to the cartridge.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

controlling, using the electronic processor, a shuttle drive to drive a shuttle of the cartridge mechanism to a first position to dispense the medication from the cartridge; and

controlling, using the electronic processor, the shuttle drive to drive the shuttle to a second position to return the medication to the cartridge,

wherein the shuttle is above a reservoir of the cartridge when the shuttle is in the first position and wherein the shuttle is above a conduit of the cartridge when the shuttle is in the second position.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting, using a pill sensor alongside the conduit, whether the medication is dispensed through the conduit.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising controlling, using the electronic processor, a motor assembly to deliver medications to the platform, wherein the motor assembly drives a singulating mechanism of the cartridge to deliver the medications.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

detecting, using a position sensor, a position of the singulating mechanism;

providing, using the position sensor, position signals indicating the position of the singulating mechanism to the electronic processor; and

determining that the medication was delivered to the platform is performed based on the position signals received from the position sensor.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising controlling, using the electronic processor, a lighting system to illuminate contents of the platform when the camera system is capturing the image of the platform.