Patent Publication Number: US-2011068117-A1

Title: Methods and Apparatus for Dispensing Solid Articles

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/104,706, filed Apr. 17, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/019,971, filed Jan. 9, 2008, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
     The present invention is directed generally to the dispensing of solid articles and, more specifically, is directed to the automated dispensing of solid articles such as solid pharmaceutical articles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pharmacy generally began with the compounding of medicines, which entailed the actual mixing and preparing of medications. Heretofore, pharmacy has been, to a great extent, a profession of dispensing, that is, the pouring, counting, and labeling of a prescription, and subsequently transferring the dispensed medication to the patient. Because of the repetitiveness of many of the pharmacist&#39;s tasks, automation of these tasks has been desirable. 
     Some attempts have been made to automate the pharmacy environment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,541 to Williams et al. describes an automated system for dispensing pharmaceuticals using dispensing bins. Each dispensing bin includes a hopper in which tablets are stored and a dispensing channel fluidly connecting the hopper to a dispensing outlet. Forward and reverse air flows are used to selectively convey the tablets through the dispensing channel in each of a dispensing direction (toward the outlet) and a reverse direction (toward the hopper). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus for dispensing solid articles includes a dispensing channel, a housing and an article supply regulation system. The dispensing channel has an inlet and an outlet and defines a dispensing path therebetween. The housing defines a hopper chamber to hold the articles. The hopper chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet of the dispensing channel. The housing includes a floor. The article supply regulation system includes a first divider wall, a second divider wall and a third divider wall configured and positioned in the hopper chamber to define, in combination with the housing: a front region between the inlet and the first divider wall; a first rear region between the first divider wall and the second divider wall; a second rear region between the second divider wall and the third divider wall; and a third rear region on a side of the third divider wall opposite the second rear region. The first divider wall forms a front choke passage between the front region and the first rear region and between the first divider wall and the floor. The second divider wall forms a first rear choke passage between the first rear region and the second rear region and between the second divider wall and the floor. The third divider wall forms a second rear choke passage between the second rear region and the third rear region and between the third divider wall and the floor and/or a side wall of the housing. 
     According to method embodiments of the present invention, a method for dispensing solid articles includes providing an apparatus including a dispensing channel, a housing, and an article supply regulation system. The dispensing channel has an inlet and an outlet and defines a dispensing path therebetween. The housing defines a hopper chamber to hold the articles. The hopper chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet of the dispensing channel. The housing includes a floor. The article supply regulation system includes a first divider wall, a second divider wall and a third divider wall configured and positioned in the hopper chamber to define, in combination with the housing: a front region between the inlet and the first divider wall; a first rear region between the first divider wall and the second divider wall; a second rear region between the second divider wall and the third divider wall; and a third rear region on a side of the third divider wall opposite the second rear region. The first divider wall forms a front choke passage between the front region and the first rear region and between the first divider wall and the floor. The second divider wall forms a first rear choke passage between the first rear region and the second rear region and between the second divider wall and the floor. The third divider wall forms a second rear choke passage between the second rear region and the third rear region and between the third divider wall and the floor and/or a side wall of the housing. The method further includes: placing the articles in the apparatus such that the articles are disposed in each of the front region, the first rear region, the second rear region and the third rear region and a load of the articles in the third rear region is supported by the third divider wall; and dispensing the articles from the hopper chamber through the dispensing channel. According to some embodiments, the articles are pharmaceutical articles. 
     Further features, advantages and details of the present invention will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the figures and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments that follow, such description being merely illustrative of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pharmaceutical tablet dispensing system including an article supply regulation system according to embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cutaway view of the tablet dispensing system of  FIG. 1  illustrating a container dispensing station, a labeling carrier, a dispensing carrier, and a closure dispensing station thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a front, left perspective view of a dispensing bin according to some embodiments of the present invention forming a part of the tablet dispensing system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front, right perspective view of the dispensing bin of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front, right, cross-sectional perspective view of the dispensing bin of  FIG. 3  taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmentary, side cross-sectional view of the bin of  FIG. 3  taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side cross-sectional view of the bin of  FIG. 3  taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4  and wherein the bin is filled with tablets to be dispensed. 
         FIG. 8  is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the bin of  FIG. 3  wherein tablets contained therein are being agitated and dispensed in a forward or dispensing direction. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the bin of  FIG. 3  wherein a tablet is being returned to a hopper of the bin in a reverse direction. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
     The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown. In the drawings, the relative sizes of regions or features may be exaggerated for clarity. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
     It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “coupled” or “connected” to another element, it can be directly coupled or connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly coupled” or “directly connected” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     In addition, spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein the expression “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     As used herein, “transverse” means across and nonparallel to a related axis, direction or the like. For example, an axis that is referred to as transverse to another axis extends across and at an angle with respect to the other axis. Transverse can include perpendicular, but is not limited thereto. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, apparatus and methods are provided for dispensing solid articles. In particular, such methods and apparatus may be used to dispense solid pharmaceuticals. According to some embodiments, the articles are pharmaceutical tablets or pills. 
     According to some embodiments of the present invention, a solid article dispensing apparatus (e.g., a pharmaceutical tablet dispensing bin) is provided including an article supply regulation system to control the loading and supply of articles (e.g., pharmaceutical tablets) to a dispensing channel. The article supply regulation system may regulate the supply of articles to an active article dispensing mechanism such as a forced air flow dispensing mechanism. According to some embodiments, the article supply regulation system operates passively and the cooperating article dispensing mechanism operates actively. 
     A dispensing system according to embodiments of the present invention and that can carry out the foregoing methods is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-9  and designated broadly therein at  40  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The system  40  includes a support frame  44  for the mounting of its various components. Those skilled in this art will recognize that the frame  44  illustrated herein is exemplary and can take many configurations that would be suitable for use with the present invention. The frame  44  provides a strong, rigid foundation to which other components can be attached at desired locations, and other frame forms able to serve this purpose may also be acceptable for use with this invention. 
     The system  40  generally includes as operative stations a controller (represented herein by a graphics user interface  42 ), a container dispensing station  58 , a labeling station  60 , a tablet dispensing station  62 , a closure dispensing station  64 , and an offloading station  66 . In the illustrated embodiment, containers, tablets and closures are moved between these stations with a dispensing carrier  70 ; however, in some embodiments, multiple carriers are employed. The dispensing carrier  70  has the capability of moving the container to designated locations within the cavity  45  of the frame  44 . Except as discussed herein with regard to the dispensing station  62 , each of the operative stations and the conveying devices may be of any suitable construction such as those described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,541 to Williams et al. and/or U.S. Patent Publication No. US-2006-0241807-A1, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties. 
     The controller  42  controls the operation of the remainder of the system  40 . In some embodiments, the controller  42  will be operatively connected with an external device, such as a personal or mainframe computer, that provides input information regarding prescriptions. In other embodiments, the controller  42  may include a stand-alone computer that directly receives manual input from a pharmacist or other operator. An exemplary controller may include a conventional microprocessor-based personal computer. The controller  42  may be a centralized computer or portions thereof may be physically and/or functionally distributed or divided into multiple controllers. For example, according to some embodiments, the controller is embodied in part in each tablet dispensing bin assembly. 
     In operation, the controller  42  signals the container dispensing station  58  that a container of a specified size is desired. In response, the container dispensing station  58  delivers a container for retrieval by the carrier  70 . From the container dispensing station  58 , the container is moved to the labeling station  60  by the carrier  70 . The labeling station  60  includes a printer that is controlled by the controller  42 . The printer prints and presents an adhesive label that is affixed to the container. 
     Filling of labeled containers with tablets is carried out by the tablet dispensing station  62 . The tablet dispensing station  62  comprises a plurality of tablet dispensing bin assemblies or bins  100  (described in more detail below), each of which holds a bulk supply of individual tablets (typically the bins  100  will hold different tablets). Referring to  FIGS. 3-9 , the dispensing bins  100 , which may be substantially identical in size and configuration, are organized in an array mounted on the rails of the frame  44 . Each dispensing bin  100  has a dispensing channel  120  with an outlet  124  ( FIG. 6 ) that faces generally in the same direction, to create an access region for the dispensing carrier  70 . The identity of the tablets in each bin is known by the controller  42 , which can direct the dispensing carrier  70  to transport the container to the proper bin  100 . 
     The dispensing bins  100  are configured to singulate, count, and dispense the tablets contained therein, with the operation of the bins  100  and the counting of the tablets being controlled by the controller  42 . According to some embodiments, each bin  100  includes its own dedicated controller that is operative to execute a dispensing run upon receiving a command from a central controller or the like. Some embodiments may employ the controller  42  as the device which monitors the locations and contents of the bins  100 ; others may employ the controller  42  to monitor the locations of the bins, with the bins  100  including indicia (such as a bar code or electronic transmitter) to identify the contents to the controller  42 . In still other embodiments, the bins  100  may generate and provide location and content information to a central controller. 
     Any of a number of dispensing units that singulate and count discrete objects may be employed if suitably modified to include the inventive aspects disclosed herein. In particular, dispensing units that rely upon targeted air flow and a singulating nozzle assembly may be used, such as the devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,826 to Pollard et al. and/or U.S. Patent Publication No. US-2006-0241807-A1, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Bins of this variety may also include additional features, such as those described below. 
     After the container is desirably filled by the tablet dispensing station  62 , the dispensing carrier  70  moves the filled container to the closure dispensing station  64 . The closure dispensing station  64  may house a bulk supply of closures and dispense and secure them onto a filled container. The dispensing carrier  70  then moves to the closed container, grasps it, and moves it to the offloading station  66 . 
     Turning to the bins  100  in more detail, an exemplary bin  100  is shown in more detail in  FIGS. 3-9 . The bin  100  includes a housing  110  having a hopper portion  112  and a nozzle  114 . The bin  100  is fluidly connected with a pressurized gas source  105  ( FIG. 8 ). The bin  100  further includes an article supply regulation system  130  ( FIG. 5 ) as discussed in more detail herein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , the hopper portion  112  defines a hopper chamber  111  that can be filled with tablets T ( FIG. 7 ). The tablets T may be pills in any suitable form, including capsules and the like. The bin  100  can be filled or replenished with tablets through an opening  116  located at the upper rear portion of the bin  100 . The opening  116  is selectively accessible via a pivoting door  116 A, for example. According to some embodiments, the hopper chamber  111  has a volume or tablet capacity of at least 1500 cc. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 8 , the tablets T can be dispensed one at a time into the container C through the dispensing channel  120 . The dispensing channel  120  has an inlet  122  adjacent and fluidly connecting the channel  120  to the hopper chamber  111 . The dispensing channel  120  includes the outlet  124  downstream from and opposite the inlet  122  and through which tablets may exit to be dispensed into the container C. The bin  100  defines a tablet dispensing path from the inlet  122 , through the dispensing channel  120 , through the outlet  124 , and through the nozzle  114 . 
     The hopper portion  112  has a bottom wall defining a floor  150 . The floor  150  has a sloped rear portion that slopes downwardly toward the inlet  122 . The floor  150  also has a funnel-shaped front portion. A front agitation port or outlet  152  and a rear agitation port or outlet  154  are provided in the floor  150 . As discussed below, air or other pressurized gas can be flowed through the outlets  152 ,  154  and into the hopper chamber  111  to agitate the tablets T contained therein. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5-7 , the article supply regulation system  130  includes a front or first partition or divider wall  132 , a second partition or divider wall  134 , a third partition or divider wall  136 , and a fourth partition or divider wall  138 . Typically, the walls  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138  will extend across the full width of the chamber  111 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , the first divider wall  132  extends through the hopper chamber  111  and forms a gap or choke point  132 A between the lower edge of the wall  132  and the floor  150 . According to some embodiments, the choke point  132 A has a gap spacing or height G 1  of between about 0.25 and 0.75 inch. The position of the wall  132 , and thereby the gap spacing G 1 , may be selectively adjusted using an adjustment mechanism  132 B ( FIG. 3 ). 
     The second divider wall  134  extends through the hopper chamber  111  and forms a gap or choke point  134 A between the lower edge of the wall  134  and the floor  150 . According to some embodiments, the choke point  134 A has a gap spacing or height G 2  of between about 0.6 and 1 inch. The position of the wall  134 , and thereby the gap spacing G 2 , may be selectively adjusted using an adjustment mechanism  134 B ( FIG. 3 ). According to some embodiments, the second divider wall  134  forms an angle A ( FIG. 6 ) of at least about 30 degrees with respect to horizontal. 
     The third divider wall  136  extends through the hopper chamber  111  and forms a gap or choke point  136 A at the narrowest point between the leftmost edge  136 B of the third divider wall  136  and the second divider wall  134 . The choke point  136 A has a gap spacing or width G 3 . According to some embodiments, the gap spacing G 3  is at least as great as the longest dimension of the tablets intended to be dispensed using the bin  100  in order to prevent jamming of the tablets between the walls  136  and  134 . According to some embodiments, the third divider wall  136  forms an angle B of at least about 30 degrees with respect to horizontal. 
     The fourth divider wall  138  is disposed in the hopper chamber  111  above the walls  132 ,  134 ,  136 . The wall  138  is generally inverted V- or U-shaped and has legs  138 A and  138 B. According to some embodiments, each leg  138 A,  138 B forms an angle of at least about 30 degrees with respect to horizontal and, according to some embodiments, at least 45 degrees. According to some embodiments, the legs  138 A,  138 B form an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to one another. 
     The first divider wall  132 , the second divider wall  134 , and the third divider wall  136  divide the hopper chamber  111  into subchambers or regions. More particularly and referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , a front region or subchamber  111 A is defined between the first divider wall  132  and the inlet  122 , a first rear region or subchamber  111 B is defined between the first divider wall  132  and the second divider wall  134 , a second rear region or subchamber  111 C is defined between the second divider wall  134  and the third divider wall  136 , and a third rear region or subchamber  111 D is defined between the third divider wall  136  and the rear, front and top walls of the bin  100 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , the housing  110  further includes a high pressure supply port or nozzle  107 . In use, the pressurized gas source  105  is fluidly connected to the high pressure nozzle  107  via a manifold, fitting, flexible or rigid conduit  107 A, or the like. The gas source  105  may include a compressor or a container of compressed gas, for example. The high pressure gas source  105  is operative to provide a supply gas flow of a suitable working gas at a high pressure to the nozzle  107 . According to some embodiments, the supplied gas is or includes air. According to some embodiments, the pressure of the supplied gas at the nozzle  107  is at least about 10 psi and, according to some embodiments, between about 10 and 60 psi. 
     A gas supply passage or conduit fluidly connects the high pressure nozzle  107  to a forward control valve  142  ( FIG. 8 ). Two forward jet supply passages fluidly connect the forward control valve  142  to respective forward drive jet apertures or outlets  146 . The forward jet outlets  146  are positioned and configured to direct air or other supplied gas into the dispensing channel  120 . A front agitation supply passage fluidly connects the forward control valve  142  to a front air amplifier  160 . The front air amplifier  160  is positioned and configured to direct air or other supplied gas into the hopper chamber  111  through the front agitation outlet  152 . The forward control valve  142  is operable to control airflow to the forward jet outlets  146  and the front air amplifier  160 . 
     A further gas supply passage or conduit fluidly connects the high pressure nozzle  107  to a reverse control valve  144  ( FIG. 9 ). A reverse jet supply passage fluidly connects the reverse control valve  144  to a reverse drive jet aperture or outlet  148 . The reverse jet outlet  148  is positioned and configured to direct air or other supplied gas into the dispensing channel  120 . A rear agitation supply passage fluidly connects the reverse control valve  144  to a rear air amplifier  162 . The rear air amplifier  162  is positioned and configured to direct air or other supplied gas into the hopper chamber  111  through the rear agitation outlet  154 . The reverse control valve  144  is operable to control airflow to the reverse jet outlet  148  and the rear air amplifier  162 . 
     In use, the air amplifiers  160 ,  162  can be used to convert a supplied pressurized gas flow having a given pressure, velocity and mass flow rate into an exiting or output air flow having a comparatively lower pressure, higher velocity, and higher mass flow rate. The outlets of the air amplifiers  160 ,  162  are positioned in or adjacent the agitation outlets  152 ,  154 , respectively, so that the exit gas flow enters the hopper chamber  111  through the agitation outlets  152 ,  154 . The air amplifiers  160 ,  162  may be constructed and/or operate in the manner disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/750,710, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Each of the air amplifiers  160 ,  162  may be secured to the housing  110 . 
     According to some embodiments and as illustrated, the drive jet outlets  146 ,  148  and the agitation outlets  152 ,  154  are fluidly connected to the pressurized gas source  105  via the same intake (i.e., the nozzle  107 ). According to some embodiments, a single gas source is used to supply all drive jet outlets and agitation outlets. According to some embodiments, the pressure of the gas supplied to each air amplifier  160 ,  162  is substantially the same as the pressure of the gas supplied to each drive jet outlet  146 ,  148 . 
     Alternative mechanisms may be used to provide the agitation gas flows discussed herein. For example, the system  40  may provide agitation flow using a separate low pressure manifold as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. US-2006-0241807-A1. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the bin  100  further includes an adjustable dispensing channel subassembly  170 . The subassembly  170  includes a ceiling wall  172 , a floor wall  174 , a left side wall  176  ( FIG. 5 ), a right side wall (not visible in the drawings) opposite the left side wall  176 , a dispensing channel height adjustment mechanism  180 , and a dispensing channel width adjustment mechanism  182 . The left side wall  176  may be fixed with respect to and may be secured to or integrally formed with the housing  110  and the jets  146 ,  148  can be formed in the fixed left side wall  176 . 
     The ceiling wall  172 , the floor wall  174 , and the right side wall together define the dispensing channel  120 , the inlet  122 , and the outlet  124 . The heightwise dimension and widthwise dimension of the dispensing channel  120 , the inlet  122 , and the outlet  124  can be selectively configured using the adjustment mechanisms  180 ,  182 . As illustrated, the adjustment mechanisms  180 ,  182  may each comprise a thumbscrew adjuster  180 A,  182 A. However, other types of adjustment mechanisms may be used. 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , a sensor system may be provided including an exit photoemitter  80 , an exit photosensor or photodetector  82 , an entrance photoemitter  84 , an entrance photosensor or photodetector  86 , the controller  42 , and an emitter driver operative to monitor flow of tablets T through the dispensing channel  120 . The photoemitter  80  and the photosensor  82  may cooperate as a first sensor pair and the photoemitter  84  and the photosensor  86  may cooperate as a second sensor pair. Additionally, the first and second sensor pairs may be cooperatively used or monitored as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/834,936, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Exemplary operation of the dispensing system  40  will now be described. The bin  100  is filled with tablets T to be dispensed. More particularly, the door  116 A may be opened and the tablets T may be poured into the hopper chamber  111  through the opening  116 . The tablets will fall or settle to the bottom of the hopper chamber  111  and progressively fill the hopper chamber  111 . The tablets will tend to collect rearward of the divider walls  132 ,  134  as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     Once the bin  100  is desirably filled with tablets, the tablets T may initially be at rest. At this time, the valves  142 ,  144  are closed so that no gas flow is provided through the jet outlets  146 ,  148  or the agitation outlets  152 ,  154 . 
     If necessary, the adjustable dispensing channel subassembly  170  is suitably adjusted using the adjusters  180 ,  182  to provide the dispensing channel  120  and/or the inlet  122  with the appropriate dimensions for singulating the intended tablets T. 
     When it is desired to dispense the tablets T to fill the container C, the dispensing carrier  70 , directed by the controller  42 , moves the container C to the exit port of the nozzle  114  of the selected dispensing bin  100 . The controller  42  signals the forward valve  142  to open (while the reverse valve  144  remains closed). The opened valve  142  permits the pressurized gas from the gas source  105  to flow through the gas supply passages and out through the forward drive jet outlets  146 . The pressurized flow from the jet outlets  146  creates high velocity gas jets that generate suction that causes a forward flow FF of high pressure, high velocity air to be drawn outwardly through the dispensing channel  120  ( FIG. 8 ). Tablets T are oriented into a preferred orientation by the shape of the inlet  122  to the dispensing channel  120  and dispensed into the container C through the dispensing channel  120  and the outlet  124  under the force of the forward flow FF. The photodetectors  82 ,  86  detect the tablets T as they pass through respective predetermined points in the dispensing channel  120 . 
     The opening of the valve  142  also simultaneously permits the pressurized supply gas from the gas source  105  to flow through the front air amplifier  160  and out through the front agitation outlet  152  as an agitation air flow having a relatively low velocity and high mass flow rate as compared to the gas flow from the jet outlets  146 . The front agitation air flow flows through and lofts or otherwise displaces (i.e., agitates) the tablets T in the front subchamber  111 A proximate the inlet  122 . This agitation of the tablets T helps to orient the tablets T for singulated entry into the dispensing channel  120  and to prevent tablet jams. According to some embodiments, the forward jet gas flows and the front agitation flow are provided simultaneously. 
     Once dispensing is complete (i.e., a predetermined number of tablets has been dispensed and counted), the controller  42  activates the forward valve  142  to close and the reverse valve  144  to open. The opened valve  144  permits the pressurized gas from the gas source  105  to flow out through the reverse drive jet outlet  148 . The pressurized flow from the jet outlet  148  creates a high velocity gas jet that generates suction that causes a reverse (i.e., rearward) flow FR of high pressure air to be drawn inwardly through the dispensing channel  120  toward the chamber  111 . In this manner, the airflow is reversed and any tablets T remaining in the channel  120  are returned to the chamber  111  under the force of the reverse flow ( FIG. 9 ). 
     The opening of the valve  144  also simultaneously permits the pressurized supply gas from the gas source  105  to flow through the rear air amplifier  160  and out through the rear agitation outlet  154  as a rear agitation air flow which has a relatively low velocity and high mass flow rate as compared to the gas flow from the jet outlet  148 . The rear agitation air flow flows through and lofts or otherwise displaces (i.e., agitates) the tablets T in the front subchamber  111 A and/or the intermediate subchamber  111 B proximate the choke point between the first divider wall  132  and the floor  150 . This agitation of the tablets T helps to loosen the tablets T to permit return of the tablets T and to prevent or break tablet jams. According to some embodiments, the reverse jet gas flow and the rear agitation flow are provided simultaneously. According to some embodiments, the reverse valve  144  is opened and then closed after a relatively short period to provide the reverse flow FR and the rear agitation flow as short bursts. 
     During a dispensing cycle (i.e., when the forward flow FF is being generated), the controller  42  may determine that a tablet jam condition is or may be present. A tablet jam is a condition wherein one or more tablets are caught up in the bin  100  such that tablets T will not feed into or through the dispensing channel  120  under the pass of the forward flow FF. Tablets may form a jam at the nozzle inlet  122 , one of the choke points  132 A,  134 A or elsewhere so that no tablets are sensed passing through the dispensing passage  120  for a prescribed period of time while the forward air flow FF is being generated. When a tablet jam is identified by the controller  42 , the controller  42  will issue a “jam clear” or “backjet” by closing the forward valve  142  and opening the reverse valve  144  as described above for generating the air flow FR and the rear agitation flow to clear a perceived tablet jam. These air flows may serve to dislodge any such jams as well as to loosen the tablets in the subchamber  111 C. 
     According to some embodiments and as illustrated, the drive jet outlet  146  and the agitation outlet  152  (and/or the drive jet outlet  148  and the agitation outlet  154 ) are fluidly connected to the pressurized gas source  105  via the same intake (i.e., the nozzle  107 ). According to some embodiments and as illustrated, only a single gas source  105  is used to supply both the drive jet outlets  146  and the agitation outlet  152  or both the drive jet outlet  148  and the agitation outlet  154 . According to some embodiments, a single gas source is used to supply all drive jet outlets and agitation outlets. 
     The article supply regulation system  130  (including the divider walls  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138  and the choke points  132 A,  134 A,  136 A) facilitates smooth and reliable operation of the bin  100 , while also allowing for filling the bin  100  with a greater number of tablets. With reference to  FIG. 7 , the divider walls  132 ,  134  and the choke points  132 A,  134 A limit or reduce the weight load that tends to push the tablets forward into the front or staging region  111 A. However, in the absence of the divider wall  136  and/or the divider wall  138 , the divider walls  132 ,  134  may be overloaded by the tablets stacked in the hopper subchambers  111 C,  111 D. Such overloading may force too many tablets through one or both of the choke points  132 A,  134 A and/or may cause the tablets to jam at one or both of the choke points  132 A,  134 A. The divider walls  136 ,  138  are positioned above the active dispensing region and have upper support surfaces disposed at an angle with respect to vertical. The divider walls  132 ,  134  serve to relieve or offload the weight of the tablets in the hopper subchamber  111 D from the downstream feed or flow path of the tablets. 
     The article supply regulation system  130  thereby operates as a stepdown load reducer, with each divider wall  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138  serving a particular function in controlling the loading and flow characteristics of the tablets. Because the divider walls  136 ,  138  typically cannot be overloaded, the article supply regulation system  130  may be infinitely scalable thereby allowing for essentially unlimited hopper capacity. The article supply regulation system  130  may serve to passively regulate the supply of tablets to the region  111 A and the active dispensing mechanism. According to some embodiments and as illustrated, no parts of the article supply regulation system  130  are moved during dispensing operation of the bin  100 . As a result of the operation of the article supply regulation system  130  as discussed above, fewer tablets T tend to collect in the region  111 A so that fewer tablets T must be displaced by the air flow from the air amplifier  150 . Thus, by reducing the tablet load, the bin  100  may be able to effectively agitate the tablets and prevent jams with lower air flow energy from the air amplifier  150 . The sizes of the choke points  132 A and  134 A may be selectively adjusted by raising and lowering the divider walls  132  and  134  to customize the bin  100  for dispensing tablets of different sizes, for example. 
     According to some embodiments and as shown, the divider walls  138  and  136  each create voids or pockets  137  and  139  thereunder wherein tablets T do not accumulate. In this manner, the tablet loading is distributed to provide further improved tablet flow. 
     The angled orientations of the divider walls  132 ,  134  with respect to vertical also serves to reduce the forward loading on the tablets T. The angled divider walls  132 ,  134  may thereby permit a larger amount of tablets to be stored in the hopper chamber  111 . 
     The arrangement of the divider walls  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138  may also serve to promote dispensing of the oldest tablets (i.e., the tablets that have been in the hopper chamber  120  longest) first. Generally, newer tablets are added on top of older tablets in the subchamber  111 D) or  111 C. Once the bottommost tablets pass through the choke point  134 A, they tend not to return to the subchamber  111 C even when a backjet is executed. 
     While four divider walls  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138  are described and illustrated in the bin  100 , article supply regulation systems in accordance with the present invention may be incorporated using as few as three divider walls. For example, according to further embodiments, the divider wall  138  may be omitted; however, it may be desirable to also alter the configuration of the divider wall  136  (e.g., by extending its forward length). Additionally, more than four divider walls may be provided. Additional divider walls may be positioned above the divider walls  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138  to break the fall of (i.e, absorb the impact or energy from) the tablets T. The additional divider walls may also serve to create additional voids and gates to control the flow of additional tablets and keep the load of additional tablets from impacting the flow. As the bin is made to have additional capacity, then additional divider walls may assist in load distribution as the additional tablets are added. The gaps defined by the additional walls should be large enough so that the intended tablets can pass therethrough without jamming. 
     The divider wall  134  may alternatively be fixed so that the gap spacing G 2  is fixed rather than adjustable. In this case, the gap spacing G 2  is sized to be at least as large as the greatest dimension of the largest tablet intended to be dispensed using the bin  100 . 
     While the bin  100  has been illustrated and described herein with only one front air amplifier  150  and one rear air amplifier  160 , fewer or greater numbers of front and rear air amplifiers may be provided. For example, there may be two or more front air amplifiers  150  and/or two or more rear air amplifiers  160 . According to some embodiments, the bin may include only one or more front air amplifiers  150  or, alternatively, only one or more rear air amplifiers  160 . The air amplifiers may be arranged and configured in any suitable manner. For example, a row or rows of air amplifiers may extend across the width of the floor  122 . 
     While the bin  100  has been illustrated and described herein with the air amplifier  150  being supplied from the same valve  142  and controlled in group fashion with the drive jet outlets  146  and the air amplifier  160  being supplied from the same valve  144  and controlled in group fashion with the drive jet outlet  148 , one or both of the air amplifiers  150 ,  160  can be separately controlled from the associated jet outlets. For example, a further valve may be provided that controls the gas supply to the air amplifier  150  independently of the jet outlets  146 , whereby the tablets T may be agitated via the air amplifier  150  prior to providing the dispensing draw via the jet outlets  146 . 
     While embodiments employing gas flow drive mechanisms are described herein, other embodiments of the present invention may employ other drive mechanisms in place of or in addition to gas flow. For example, the articles (e.g. pharmaceutical tablets) may be passed in the forward and/or reverse direction by vibration and/or gravity. 
     The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to, be included within the scope of this invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.