# US 11,078,018 B2 · Automatic storage and distribution system, and housing unit and picking unit for products packaged in unit doses > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,018 B2 - Document ID: US11078018B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/573,612 - Filed: 2016-05-26 - Published: 2018-05-03 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-29 - Assignees: Swisslog Italia S.P.A. - Applicants: Swisslog Italia S.P.A. - Inventors: Flavio Este; Lorenzo Spagna; Gabriele Bianconi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078018B2 ## CPC - B65G 1/137: with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed - G07F 11/165: {using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements} - G07F 11/62: in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles - G07F 11/64: in which the articles are individually suspended from stationary supports - G07F 17/0092: {for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00)} - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract Storage and distribution system for products in unit doses, including plurality of housing units, each including a plurality of locations for products in unit doses. The housing units are organised on a vertical plane to produce at least one portion of a picking wall, in which the locations for products in unit doses face selective picking members. A picking unit includes picking members oriented on the picking wall for picking products packaged in unit doses. A collecting unit, arranged on a second side of the picking unit, includes a rack having a plurality of pegs facing towards the first side of the picking unit. The pegs are reached by the picking members so as to pick therefrom or deposit thereon products packaged in unit doses. The plurality of pegs as a whole can collect a smaller number of unit dose products than those that can be stored in the automatic store. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A storage and distribution system for products in unit doses, said system comprising: a plurality of housing units, each said housing unit comprising a plurality of locations at which products in unit doses are stored; an automatic store having an interior configured for storing said housing units, said automatic store comprising a storage zone and shelves disposed within said storage zone, some of said housing units being removably positioned on said shelves in said storage zone, said automatic store further including a picking zone configured to organize and store others of said housing units such that same are oriented in a substantially vertical plane to form a picking wall in said picking zone; a picking apparatus, wherein locations of the respective said unit dose products of said housing units forming said picking wall face said picking apparatus, said picking apparatus being disposed and configured to remove at least one selected one of said unit dose products from its corresponding location on said picking wall; and a handling apparatus disposed and configured to place selected ones of said housing units on said shelves in said storage zone, said handling apparatus being disposed and configured to move a selected one of said housing units from said storage zone to said picking wall in said picking zone, to remove a selected one of said housing units from said picking wall in said picking zone, or to replace a selected one of said housing units on said picking wall in said picking zone with a different one of said housing units independently from removal of said at least one selected one of said unit dose products from said picking wall by said picking apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The storage and distribution system according to claim 1, wherein each said housing unit comprises a box-shaped body having an opening facing said picking apparatus, said picking apparatus removing said unit dose products from the respective said housing units through said openings thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The storage and distribution system according to claim 2, wherein said shelves are storage zone shelves, said storage and distribution system further including picking zone shelves disposed within said picking zone, said housing units in said picking zone being removably supported on respective ones of said picking zone shelves, said picking zone shelves being disposed to support said housing units in said substantially vertical plane to form said picking wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The storage and distribution system according to claim 3, wherein each said picking zone shelf is open on first and second sides thereof, said first side facing said picking apparatus and said second side communicating with said storage zone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The storage and distribution system according to claim 4, wherein each said picking zone shelf includes a plurality of bearing planes, said bearing planes supporting said housing units thereon such that said openings thereof face said picking apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The storage and distribution system according to claim 5, wherein a vertical distance between two vertically adjacent ones of said bearing planes corresponds to a height of said box-shaped bodies of the respective said housing units. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The storage and distribution system according to claim 6, wherein each said bearing plane comprises a locking arrangement configured to lock said box-shaped bodies of the respective said housing units in a picking position facing said picking apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The storage and distribution system according to claim 2, wherein said shelves are storage zone shelves, said storage and distribution system further including at least one picking zone shelf disposed within said picking zone, said housing units in said picking zone being removably supported on said at least one picking zone shelf in said substantially vertical plane to form said picking wall. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The storage and distribution system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one picking zone shelf is open on first and second sides thereof, said first side facing said picking apparatus and being accessible by said picking apparatus and said second side being accessible by said handling apparatus. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The storage and distribution system according to claim 9, wherein said at least one picking zone shelf includes a plurality of bearing planes, each said bearing plane supporting one of said housing units thereon such that said opening thereof faces said picking apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The storage and distribution system according to claim 10, wherein each said bearing plane comprises a locking arrangement configured to lock said box-shaped bodies of the respective said housing units in a picking position facing said picking apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The storage and distribution system according to claim 1, wherein each said housing unit comprises a box-shaped body having a front opening, a plurality of support elements configured to support said unit dose products disposed within said housing unit, and a coupling or locking system configured for removably securing said box-shaped body on one of said shelves disposed within said storage zone or on a shelf disposed within said picking zone. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The storage and distribution system according to claim 12, wherein each said box-shaped body has a rear wall and each said support element comprises a peg projecting from said rear wall and facing said front opening. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The storage and distribution system according to claim 13, wherein each said box-shaped body has an upper wall, said pegs being disposed closely adjacent to said upper wall and tilting upwardly towards said upper wall, and said pegs are substantially horizontally aligned with one another. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The storage and distribution system according to claim 14, wherein each said box-shaped body has a selectively removable cover disposed to close off said front opening. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The storage and distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said shelves are storage zone shelves, said storage and distribution system further including picking zone shelves disposed within said picking zone, said housing units in said picking zone being removably supported on respective ones of said picking zone shelves, said picking zone shelves being disposed to support said housing units in said substantially vertical plane to form said picking wall, each said picking zone shelf being accessible from said storage zone by said handling apparatus at a location different from said locations on said picking wall from which said picking apparatus removes said at least one selected one of said unit dose products. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method for distributing unit dose products used in said storage and distribution system according to claim 1, said method comprising the steps of: placing selected ones of said housing units on said shelves in said storage zone with said handling apparatus; removing at least one selected one of said unit dose products from its corresponding location on said picking wall with said picking apparatus; and with said handling apparatus, moving a selected one of said housing units from said storage zone to said picking wall in said picking zone, removing a selected one of said housing units from said picking wall in said picking zone, or replacing a selected one of said housing units on said picking wall in said picking zone with a different one of said housing units independently from said step of removing said at least one selected one of said unit dose products from said picking wall with said picking apparatus. ### Claim 18 A storage and distribution system for products in unit doses, said system comprising: a plurality of housing units, each said housing unit comprising a plurality of locations at which products in unit doses are stored; an automatic store having an interior configured for storing said housing units, said automatic store comprising a storage zone and shelves disposed within said storage zone, some of said housing units being removably positioned on said shelves in said storage zone, said automatic store further including a picking zone and shelves disposed within said picking zone, said shelves in said picking zone being configured to organize and store others of said housing units such that same are oriented in a substantially vertical plane to form a picking wall at said picking zone; a picking apparatus, wherein locations of the respective said unit dose products of said housing units forming said picking wall at said picking zone face said picking apparatus, said picking apparatus being disposed and configured to remove at least one selected one of said unit dose products from its corresponding location on said picking wall; and a handling apparatus disposed and configured to place selected ones of said housing units on said shelves in said storage zone, said shelves in said picking zone being accessible from said storage zone by said handling apparatus to permit said handling apparatus to move a selected one of said housing units from said storage zone to a position on said picking wall in said picking zone, to remove a selected one of said housing units from said picking wall in said picking zone, or to replace a selected one of said housing units on said picking wall in said picking zone with a different one of said housing units, each said picking zone shelf being accessible by said handling apparatus at a location different from said locations on said picking wall from which said picking apparatus removes said at least one selected one of said unit dose products.