Apparatuses, systems, and methods for the automated retrieval and dispensing of articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345544-B2
Application number	US-201916368956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dispensing and retrieving products is provided. An apparatus may include: a plurality of shelf units. Each shelf unit extends longitudinally between a first end and a second end. The first end may be configured to receive articles, and the second end may be configured to present articles for retrieval in a retrieval position. Each of the plurality of shelf units is arranged with a respective second end facing a retrieval area. Each of the plurality of shelf units is inclined with the first end being lower than the second end. The apparatus may also include a retrieval device comprising an end-of-arm tool. The retrieval device is disposed within the retrieval area and configured to attach the end-of-arm tool to an article in a retrieval position of each of the plurality of shelf units.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An apparatus for dispensing articles, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of shelf units in two opposing banks of shelf units, each bank having rows of shelf units and columns of shelf units, wherein each shelf unit is longitudinally elongated between a first end and an opposing second end, wherein the respective first end of each shelf unit is configured to receive articles in a respective direction from the respective first end toward the respective second end, and wherein the respective second end of each shelf unit is configured to present articles for retrieval; and
a retrieval area defined between the two banks of shelf units, wherein the second end of each shelf unit faces the retrieval area, wherein the second ends of the shelf units of a first bank of the two opposing banks face the second ends of the plurality of shelf units of a second bank of the two opposing banks;
wherein each shelf unit is inclined on an upward angle toward the retrieval area,
wherein the retrieval area is an enclosed, access-controlled area, wherein the plurality of shelf units cooperate to at least partially enclose the retrieval area.

2. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of shelf units comprising at least a first shelf unit and a second shelf unit, each shelf unit being longitudinally elongated between a first end and an opposing second end, wherein the first end is configured to receive articles in a direction from the first end toward the second end, and the second end is configured to present the articles for retrieval in a retrieval position, wherein each of the plurality of shelf units is arranged with a respective second end facing a retrieval area, wherein each of the plurality of shelf units is inclined with the first end being lower relative to the second end, wherein the first and second shelf units are arranged so that the second end of the first shelf unit faces the second end of the second shelf unit; and
a retrieval device comprising an end-of-arm-tool, wherein the retrieval device is disposed within the retrieval area and configured to attach the end-of-arm-tool to an article being presented in the retrieval position by the second end of any one of the plurality of shelf units,
wherein the retrieval area is an enclosed, access-controlled area, wherein the plurality of shelf units cooperate to at least partially enclose the retrieval area.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the shelf units is inclined between about five degrees and about fifteen degrees from horizontal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of shelf units are positioned in a semicircular arrangement.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising fencing, wherein the plurality of shelf units and the fencing cooperate to fully enclose the retrieval area.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein during operation of the retrieval device, the apparatus is configured to prevent access to the retrieval area and to permit access to the first ends of the plurality of shelf units.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the retrieval device comprises a gantry from which an end-of-arm-tool extends into the retrieval area, wherein the gantry advances the end-of-arm-tool along the second end of the plurality of shelf units.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the end-of-arm-tool comprises at least one of:
one or more suction cups configured to attach to and secure an article to the end-of-arm-tool; or
a gripping apparatus having two or more fingers configured to grasp the article from a retrieval end of a shelf unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of shelf units are arranged in a bank of rows of adjacent shelf units, and columns of vertically stacked shelf units, wherein rows are arranged with longitudinally extending sides facing one another.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the bank of rows and columns of shelf units is configured with each row above a bottom row in the vertical stack offset away from the retrieval area relative to a row immediately below, wherein the bank of rows and columns of shelf units defines a respective opening at the first end of each shelf unit of the plurality of shelf units, wherein the respective opening at the first end of each shelf unit is configured to receive the articles therethrough in the direction from the first end toward the second end.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the bank of shelf units is a first bank of shelf units, the apparatus further comprising a second bank of rows of adjacent shelf units and columns of vertically stacked shelf units, wherein the second end of the shelf units of the second bank is arranged to face the second end of the shelf units of the first bank, wherein the retrieval area is defined between the first bank and the second bank.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of shelf units comprises a pusher to bias the articles received on the shelf unit toward the second end of the shelf unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the pusher comprises a screw-driven biasing plate.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the pusher comprises a conveyor belt.

15. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive an order for an article, identify a shelf unit corresponding to the article of the order, advance the retrieval device to the shelf unit corresponding to the article of the order, retrieve the article of the order, and dispense the article of the order to a dispensing station.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein an association is made between the article and a shelf unit in response to an indication of the article and an identifier of the corresponding shelf unit being provided to the controller during a loading operation of the shelf unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the dispensing station comprises a scale, wherein a weight of the article of the order is measured by the scale at the dispensing station and compared against an expected weight of the article for verification.

18. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of shelf units further comprises a third shelf unit, wherein each of the first, second, and third shelf units is elongated along a respective longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis of the third shelf unit is angularly offset from the longitudinal axis of the first shelf unit and the longitudinal axis of the second shelf unit, wherein the retrieval device comprises a multi-axis robotic arm, wherein the first, second, and third shelf units are positioned relative to each other and the multi-axis robotic arm so that the multi-axis robotic arm can access each of the first, second, and third shelf units.

19. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one shelf unit of the plurality of shelf units comprises:
a motor-driven conveyer that is configured to move the articles received on said shelf unit toward the second end of said shelf unit;
a sensor that is configured to detect arrival of the article in the retrieval position at the second end of said shelf unit; and
a controller in communication with the sensor and the motor-driven conveyor, wherein the controller is configured to stop movement of the motor-driven conveyor when the sensor detects arrival of the article in the retrieval position at the second end of said shelf unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a labeling station, wherein the labeling station comprises a printer to print indicia to a la

Assignees

• Mckesson Corp

Inventors

• Herrschaft Rich
• Albert Jerome
• Hertzler Merle
• Tanvir Sofia

Classifications

• B25J9/026

  Gantry-type · CPC title

• B65G47/91

  incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers · CPC title

• G07F11/28

  in which the magazines are inclined · CPC title

• B65G1/06 Primary

  with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level (B65G1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G47/90

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title