APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR THE AUTOMATED DISPENSING OF ARTICLES

• Main Authors: BRAUN, Patrick Joseph, GREYSHOCK, Shawn T, PATTISON, William B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.02.2022
• Subjects: CHECKING-DEVICES; COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS; PHYSICS; REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS

An automated dispensing system is provided, which comprises: a controller configured to process a request for one or more articles to be dispensed; one or more storage modules comprising a plurality of moveable trays stacked vertically, each of the moveable trays comprising one or more storage locations to hold the one or more articles; a loading bin having an end panel and a sliding floor; and a robot configured to access the one or more storage locations within the one or more moveable trays within the one or more storage modules and transfer the requested one or more articles to the loading bin prior to dispensing the requested one or more articles from the loading bin into a patient-specific container, wherein each of the one or more moveable trays is moved from a storage position to a retrieval position prior to the access by the robot to the one or more storage locations to retrieve the one or more articles, wherein the loading bin dispenses the requested one or more articles into the patient-specific container in response to the loading bin being inserted into the patient-specific container, the end panel opening an end of the bin, the sliding floor retracting from the bin, and the bin being removed from the patient-specific container.