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US 11,834,214 B2Granted
Packaging system for pharmaceutical dispenser and associated method
AssigneeRemedi Technology Holdings, LLC
InventorsJeffrey S. Bailey, Bobby O. Archer, Kimberly Hawkes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of accumulating packages and an accumulation module including a base cabinet, a rotatable accumulation dial, a hopper and picker assembly, the picker assembly extendable radially outward from a home position to a position outside of the hopper to retrieve a package and place the package on the accumulation module. The package is acted on by a first plunger from above and a stabilizing plunger from below to hold the package in place and then the package is treated by a heat stake anvil from below.
Claims17
An accumulation module, comprising:
- a base cabinet;
- a rotatable accumulation dial supported by the base cabinet and including a hopper;
- a picker assembly supported by the base cabinet, and the picker assembly extendable, from a home position above the hopper, outwardly to a position radially outside of the hopper to retrieve a package and returnable to the home position to deposit the package into the hopper located at a first position;
- a first plunger that contacts the package to force the package, when the hopper is in a second position, through an open bottom of the hopper to deliver the package to a travel pack module;
- a stabilizing plunger extendable upwardly through an open bottom of the accumulation dial to contact the package;
- a heat stake anvil that is downwardly extendable into the hopper to engage an uppermost surface of the subsequent package;
- and
- a heat stake iron upwardly extendable with the stabilizing plunger to heat stake the package and the subsequent package together against the heat stake anvil.
5 more elements
A method of accumulating packages, comprising:
- extending a picker assembly supported by a base cabinet outwardly, from a home position above a hopper of an accumulation dial, towards a package positioned radially outside the hopper, the accumulation dial being supported by the base cabinet;
- contacting the package with pickers of the picker assembly to retrieve the package;
- returning the picker assembly to the home position with the package;
- depositing the package into the hopper;
- rotating the accumulation dial;
- contacting the package with a plunger to deliver the package to a travel pack module;
- after depositing the package, retrieving a subsequent package;
- depositing the subsequent package in the hopper;
- extending a stabilizing plunger upwardly through an open bottom of the accumulation dial to contact the package;
- extending a heat stake anvil downwardly into the hopper to engage an uppermost surface of the subsequent package;
- and
- extending a heat stake iron upwardly with the stabilizing plunger to heat stake the package and the subsequent package together against the anvil.
9 more elements
An accumulation module, comprising:
- a base cabinet;
- an accumulation dial supported by the base cabinet and including a hopper, and the accumulation dial rotatable to re-position the hopper;
- a picker assembly supported by the base cabinet, and the picker assembly extendable, from a home position above the hopper, outwardly to a position radially outside of the hopper to retrieve a package and returnable to the home position to deposit the package into the hopper located at a first position;
- a first plunger that contacts the package to force the package, when the hopper is in a second position, through an open bottom of the hopper;
- a stabilizing plunger that extends upwardly through an open bottom of the accumulation dial to contact the package;
- a heat stake anvil that is downwardly extendable into the hopper to engage an uppermost surface of a subsequent package;
- and
- a heat stake iron that extends upwardly with the stabilizing plunger to heat stake the package and the subsequent package together against the heat stake anvil.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.