Systems and methods for a unit-of-use wrap seal packing station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9944419-B2
Application number	US-201514803101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a staging area including:
a plurality of staging bins, and
a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins,
wherein a staging bin of the plurality of staging bins is configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein, and configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle; and

a packing area including:
a slide,
a scanner, and
a wrap seal conveyor,
wherein the shuttle is configured to release the component onto the slide, and
wherein the scanner is operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle is moveable beneath the plurality of staging bins.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the staging bin includes a selectively openable door for selectively retaining the component of the order therein.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the shuttle is positionable proximate the door in the staging bin to receive the component of the order from the staging bin.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a staging conveyor leading to the staging bin;
a holding bin associated with the staging conveyor; and
a feed conveyor for transporting the components of the order to the holding bin.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the staging conveyor is a Z-conveyor.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the holding bin includes a selectively openable door to allow the component of the order to be transported out of the holding bin on its respective staging conveyor.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the feed conveyor includes a drop door, the drop door being associated with the holding bin.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the drop door is a bomb bay style door, and wherein the holding bin prevents the component of the order dropped through the bomb bay style door in the feed conveyor from bouncing into a different holding bin associated with the staging conveyor.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle moves along a track positioned along the plurality of staging bins.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the shuttle includes a selectively openable door for releasing the component of the order onto the slide.

12. A method comprising:
depositing a container associated with a prescription order into a holding bin;
transporting the container from the holding bin on a staging conveyor;
depositing the container from the staging conveyor into a staging bin;
instructing a shuttle to move to a position adjacent the staging bin to receive the container;
opening a door of the staging bin to release the container from the staging bin to the shuttle;
instructing the shuttle to move to a slide; and
depositing the container from the shuttle onto the slide, causing the container to slide down the slide to a gathering area for packing.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
instructing the shuttle to move to a position adjacent a next staging bin to receive a next prescription order;
opening a door of the next staging bin to release the next prescription order to the shuttle;
instructing the shuttle to move to the slide to await completion of packing of the container.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transporting the container to the holding bin via a feed conveyor,
wherein depositing the container into the holding bin occurs by dropping the container from the feed conveyor through a bomb bay style drop door.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining that the container includes all container components of a prescription order based on a scan of the container, said determination occurring in a control unit; and
instructing a worker to package the container for shipment based on the determination.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining that the container does not include all container components of a prescription order based on a scan of the container, said determination occurring in a control unit; and
instructing a worker to reject the container based on the determination.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the position adjacent the staging bin is beneath the staging bin.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
opening a door of the holding bin to allow the container to exit the holding bin.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein depositing the container from the shuttle onto the slide comprises:
opening a door of the shuttle to release the container onto the slide.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the container including an order comprises an order of a prescription pharmaceutical.

21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
scanning the container to confirm that all container components of a prescription order are present, the container components including the component and an additional component.

22. A method comprising:
depositing a container associated with a prescription order into a particular holding bin of a plurality of holding bins;
determining that a staging bin associated the holding bin is empty, wherein the determination occurs in a control unit;
advancing a conveyor between the holding bin and a staging bin to transport the container to the staging bin;
depositing the container from the conveyor into the staging bin;
moving a shuttle to a position adjacent the staging bin to receive the container;
opening a door of the staging bin to release the container from the staging bin to the shuttle to stage the order;
moving the shuttle to a slide after receipt of the container from the staging bin;
depositing the container from the shuttle onto the slide, causing the at least one container to slide down the slide to a gathering area;
moving the shuttle to a position proximate another staging bin to stage a next order; and
scanning the container to confirm that all containers of the order are present.

Assignees

• Express Scripts Inc
• Express Scripts Strategic Dev Inc

Inventors

• Joplin Jonathan W
• Hoffman Robert E

Classifications

• B65B35/24

  by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/205 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65B57/14

  and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged · CPC title

• G07F17/0092

  for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00) · CPC title

• B65B35/54 Primary

  Feeding articles along multiple paths to a single packaging position · CPC title

• G06F19/3456

  Physics · mapped topic