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US 12,617,629 B2Granted
Medication container air sorting system and apparatus
AssigneeInnovation Associates, Inc.
InventorsFletcher L. Chapin, Edward Mungo, Jacob Chandler Jackowski, Carrie Hathaway
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and apparatus for a medication container sorting apparatus by air sort station is disclosed. The container sorting apparatus includes a transport mechanism, a bumper rail, an air nozzle, a valve, and a sensor. As medication containers pass by an air nozzle on the transport mechanism, the air nozzle blows air towards the containers to push those with a closed end facing the air nozzle towards an opposite side of the transport mechanism. A bumper rail is used to prevent the medication container from falling off of the transport mechanism.
Claims20
A container sorting apparatus comprising:
- a transport mechanism configured to transport containers from a first end located adjacent to a loading section to a second end located at a fixed distance from the loading section;
- a bumper rail located adjacent to a first side of the transport mechanism;
- at least one air nozzle located adjacent to an opposite, second side of the transport mechanism across from a portion of the bumper rail, the at least one air nozzle connected to a pressurized air source and configured to blow pressurized air toward the bumper rail, the transport mechanism configured such that the containers are located on the second side before reaching the at least one air nozzle;
- at least one valve fluidly coupled between the pressurized air source and the at least one air nozzle, the at least one valve configured to regulate a flow of the pressurized air;
- and
- a sensor operable with a controller configured to:
- detect whether an open end or a closed end of each of the containers faces the sensor, and
- transmit a signal when the closed end of the container faces the sensor causing the at least one valve to open, thereby causing the pressurized air to move the container laterally from the second side of the transport mechanism toward the bumper rail such that:
- containers with the open end facing the sensor are located on the second side of the transport mechanism when those containers reach the second end of the transport mechanism for stacking, and
- the containers with the closed end facing the sensor are located on the first side of the transport mechanism or at a center of the transport mechanism when those containers reach the second end of the transport mechanism for stacking.
7 more elements
A container sorting apparatus comprising:
- a transport mechanism configured to transport containers from a first end located adjacent to a loading section to a second end located at a fixed distance from the loading section;
- a bumper rail located adjacent to a first side of the transport mechanism;
- at least one air nozzle located adjacent to an opposite, second side of the transport mechanism across from a portion of the bumper rail, the at least one air nozzle connected to a pressurized air source and configured to blow pressurized air toward the bumper rail;
- at least two valves fluidly coupled between the pressurized air source and the at least one air nozzle, the at least two valves configured to regulate a flow of the pressurized air;
- and
- a sensor configured to:
- detect whether an open end or a closed end of a container faces the sensor, and
- transmit a signal when the closed end of the container faces the sensor causing the at least two valves to open, thereby causing the pressurized air to move the container laterally toward the bumper rail.
5 more elements
A method for aggregating and sorting containers in a container sorter apparatus comprising:
- transporting at least one container by a transport mechanism from a first end located adjacent to a loading section to a second end located at a fixed distance from the loading section, the transport mechanism configured such that the containers are located on a second side before reaching at least one air nozzle;
- detecting whether an open end or a closed end of at least one container faces a sensor adjacent to the transport mechanism;
- and
- transmitting a signal when the closed end of a container faces the sensor causing at least one valve fluidly coupled between a pressurized air source and the at least one air nozzle, to open, thereby causing the pressurized air to move the container laterally from the second side of the transport mechanism toward a bumper rail located adjacent to a first side of the transport mechanism such that:
- the containers with the open end facing the sensor are located on the second side of the transport mechanism when those containers reach the second end of the transport mechanism for stacking, and
- the containers with the closed end facing the sensor are located on the first side of the transport mechanism or at a center of the transport mechanism when those containers reach the second end of the transport mechanism for stacking,
- wherein the at least one valve is configured to regulate a flow of the pressurized air.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.