Patent Publication Number: US-2004059464-A1

Title: Object dispenser

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] Machines that automatically dispense objects.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002] Automatic dispensing machines have become increasingly popular because of their ability to deliver objects reliably to authorized recipients and thereby providing inventory control and saving labor costs that would otherwise be involved. A wide variety of dispensing machines has been developed to dispense different sorts of objects, and yet all these dispensers suffer from various problems.  
       [0003] Many automatic dispensing machines are large and heavy, take up floor space, and are expensive to build and maintain. They tend to include motors and mechanical movements that add to their weight, complexity, and expense. They also have to be reloaded at the dispensing site by a service man that transports the objects to be dispensed.  
       [0004] A departure from this trend occurs in U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,007, which suggests cells arrayed in drawers to make medical supplies available to authorized recipients. Drawers loaded with a multiplicity of individual cells that can be transported to the dispensing site, but there, the cells are scanned and inserted in drawers and later merely opened to provide access, rather than actually dispensing the intended objects.  
       [0005] Dispensing machines are also required to generate information on what is dispensed to which recipient. Here too, present machines either fail to do this completely or accomplish it in an inconvenient and expensive way.  
       [0006] Altogether, this invention aims at a simpler and more efficient automatic dispensing machine that is compact, and inexpensive. The invention also aims at versatility in dispensing a wide variety of objects and at convenience and efficiency in generating and transmitting information on dispensing transactions.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007] The inventive dispenser uses a structure configured to support an array of objects to be dispensed. Retainers mounted on the support structure are latchable to hold the objects in their places in the array until the retainers are selectively unlatched to release the objects for dispensing. Mechanisms to unlatch the retainers are arranged in the support structure, preferably in communication with microcircuitry containing information on the loaded objects and generating information on objects dispensed.  
       [0008] The support structure, retainers, and unlatching mechanisms can be arranged in various ways to achieve advantages sought by the invention. For example, to pack objects densely into the array, a simple tubular structure can support the objects in a honeycomb pattern, with the support tubes distributed between the objects. If the objects vary in size and shape, they can be contained in packages that are dispensed from such an array. A support tube configuration also allows retainers to be mounted on the support tubes and unlatching mechanisms to be mounted within the support tubes. Microcircuitry arranged on a circuit board can be mounted to achieve both physical and electrical communication with the support tubes for dispensing purposes.  
       [0009] Preferred embodiments of the invention take advantage of gravity to power the motion required to dispense the objects. One way this can be done is by orienting the support structure at an inclination at a dispensing site so that unlatching one of the retainers releases an object for gravitationally falling out of and dispensing from the support array. For this purpose, the latchable and unlatchable retainers preferably block exit of objects from an access side of the support structure and spring open when unlatched to permit gravitational exit of objects. Springs can also be arranged to bias the objects into movement gravitationally out of the array.  
       [0010] To make the loading of objects for dispensing more efficient and to accomplish the necessary flow of loading and dispensing information back and forth between a supplier and a user, preferred embodiments of the invention preferably arrange the object supporting array within a portable case. This requires that the support structure, the retainers, and the unlatching mechanisms all be made light enough in weight so that when combined with a reasonable number of objects for dispensing, the case is light enough to be manually handled during transport. Keeping the support structure to a minimum weight, and making the retainers and unlatching mechanisms simple and light in weight helps make this possible. Including microcircuitry in the support structure can ensure that dispensing information travels efficiently between the supplier and the user. The microcircuitry also facilitates electromechanical actuation of retainer unlatching mechanisms, which can be made simple and light in weight by using shaped memory materials. Packaging objects that are not already packaged helps keep the supporting structure simple by not requiring that it provide package-like cells.  
       [0011] Preferred embodiments of the invention thus achieve significant advantages over existing dispensers. They can be made versatile, compact, low in cost, and inexpensive to load and maintain. They can do all this while generating and transmitting the necessary information and securely directing objects only to authorized recipients. They can thus facilitate analysis of a supply flow of the objects and reduce the cost of loading and delivering the objects that will become necessary. 
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive dispenser arranged in a portable dispensing case.  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a schematic and partially cut away side elevational view of the portable dispensing case of FIG. 1 arranged at a dispensing site.  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational view of a preferred embodiment of an object-supporting array useable in the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and 2.  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view of preferred embodiments of object support tubes and a retainer unlatching mechanism suitable for use in the structures of FIGS.  1 - 3 .  
     [0016]FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, and partially schematic view of the retainer unlatching mechanism of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0017] The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a portable dispensing case that gravitationally dispenses packaged objects at a dispensing site. The invention is not limited to these particulars, however. The invention can also be applied to a fixed dispenser that does not use a portable case, and it can be used for objects that are not packaged or do not need packages to be retained in a dispensing array. The invention can also be embodied in a dispenser that does not rely on gravity for dispensing movement. The invention therefore has advantageous merits that can be applied in many forms other than the illustrated embodiment.  
     [0018] Case  10  holds an illustrated array of objects  25  to be dispensed. Although case  10  can be fixed in place, its possible portability is illustrated by carrying handle  11 . Especially when case  10  is intended to be carried from a loading site to a dispensing site with a full load of objects  25 , case  10  is desirably made as light in weight and as compact as possible. To advance these goals, objects  25  are preferably arranged in staggered rows as illustrated or otherwise packed as densely as possible. Strategies for packing objects  25  densely can vary with the configuration of the objects, which can be packages, as illustrated, in the form of tubular shapes that contain smaller objects of various sizes and shapes for dispensing. Plastic tubes in cylindrical or other cross-sectional form with closed ends and removable end caps (not shown) are inexpensively available and can be used to package and dispense a wide variety of objects. Object packages  25  can also have many shapes other than cylindrical, and these shapes can be affected by the configuration of the objects to be packaged. Whatever their shape, packages  25  are preferably made light in weight, especially if case  10  is to be portable.  
     [0019] The packages  25  shown in FIG. 1 all have the same diameter or size, but this need not be so. An array within case  10  can be configured to support packages of more than one diameter or length or otherwise differing in size or configuration.  
     [0020] Packages  25  offer a special advantage in dealing with objects differing in size and shape. Cutting tools and small parts for assembly purposes provide a good example. These can occur in an endless variety of shapes and sizes, many of which can fit within a uniform array of packages  25 . The uniformity of packages  25  simplifies the support structure within case  10 , which only has to be configured to receive one size, or possibly a few sizes, of object packages.  
     [0021] Packages  25  can also be recycled. When a packaged object is dispensed, the recipient can remove the package cap, obtain the object within the package, and drop the package in a nearby container for recycling.  
     [0022] Whether packaged or unpackaged, objects  25  are preferably held in place by support tubes  30  that are distributed among objects  25 . Support tubes  30  can also vary widely in size and shape. Simple cylindrical tubes  30  are illustrated in the drawings, because these are economically available. Such support tubes can have different diameters and different cross-sectional shapes, however. It is also possible to mold a supporting structure within case  10  to have projections, rods, cups, or other configurations able to support an array of objects  25 , without using tubes  30 .  
     [0023] With a support rod or tube arrangement as shown in FIG. 1, objects  25  are slid into spaces between tubes  30  from the illustrated access side of case  10 . During dispensing, objects are released from between tubes  30  and slide out of the access side of case  10 . During transport, the illustrated access side of case  10  is closed by a moveable panel (not shown).  
     [0024] The array illustrated in FIG. 1 contains some gaps showing spaces from which objects  25  have been dispensed. As the supply of remaining objects  25  reduces, case  10  is replaced with a loaded case and is brought to a reloading site where it is reloaded with a supply of objects  25  for eventual return to a dispensing site. Alternatively, if case  10  is fixed in place, it is reloaded at its dispensing site.  
     [0025] Support tubes  30  have an advantage over other object supporting structures in being able to mount and contain mechanisms for holding and selectively releasing objects  25  from their positions in the array. For this purpose, support tubes  30  preferably include retainers  40  mounted on the illustrated access ends  32  of the support tubes  30 . Retainers  40  can be latched in the positions illustrated for all the spaces containing objects  25 , and in their latched positions, the retainers block any exit of objects  25  from the array. When retainers  40  are unlatched, they preferably spring open to the positions illustrated for the empty array spaces from which objects have been dispensed. This moves retainers  40  into alignment with tubes  30  where they are out of the way of an exit path of objects  25  from the array. A few support tubes  31  arranged around sides and bottom of the array within case  10 , hold objects  25  in position without requiring retainers  40 . Although retainers  40  are illustrated as positioned above the spaces holding objects  25 , they can also be arranged below or along side the retained objects. The illustrated staggered rows of objects  25  allow each object to be held in its array position by three support tubes, preferably spaced 120° apart around each object space.  
     [0026] Case  10  is preferably mounted at an inclination at a dispensing site  15 , as schematically shown in FIG. 2. The inclination angle is sufficient to allow objects  25  to fall out of the array and be dispensed gravitationally to an access tray  16  below case  10 . A suitable inclination angle is preferably set depending on the configuration of objects  25  and the static friction occurring between objects  25  and tubes  30 . Inclination of tubes  30  and objects  25  can be built into case  10 , but especially for portable cases, objects  25  and support tubes  30  are preferably oriented horizontally during case transport, and then set to the necessary inclination angle by tilting case  10  at a dispensing site as illustrated.  
     [0027] Latched retainers  40  hold objects  25  in their retained positions in the array within case  10 , as shown in FIG. 2; except one object  25   a  is shown gravitationally sliding out of its array position by unlatching of its retainer  40   a . Another object  25   b  is shown dispensed to access tray  16 .  
     [0028] Retainers  40  are preferably arranged at the access ends  32  of tubes  40 , as shown in FIG. 2, and in this position they block entry or exit of objects  25  from the array in case  10 . It is also possible to arrange retainers  40  near the closed or opposite end of tubes  30  to engage lips or edges of objects  25 .  
     [0029]FIG. 3 shows more detail of the array structure removed from case  10  and dispensing site  15 , but inclined at a dispensing angle. Latched retainers  40  hold objects  25  in their places between support tubes  30 , and an unlatched retainer  40   a  allows a released object  25   a  to slide gravitationally out of an access side of the array, as illustrated. Another unlatched retainer  40   a  stands open above an empty place from which an object  25  has been dispensed.  
     [0030] A plate  17  preferably provides a principal support for tubes  30 . Plate  17  can be drilled to accept tubes  30 , or tubes  30  can be integrally molded with a support plate or backing. Additional support for tubes  30  is preferably provided by circuit board  20 , which is preferably arranged in a rear or non-access region of a portable case  10 . Support plate  17  is preferably spaced from circuit board  20  so that tubes  30  are securely mounted to extend from circuit board  20  to support plate  17  and on forward to an access side  35  of the array where objects  25  can enter and exit.  
     [0031] Circuit board  20  preferably includes the necessary circuit elements to store records of loading information of objects  25  and store records of dispensing transactions that occur when authorized recipients enter information at a dispensing site and receive objects  25 . Such memory travels with case  10 , when case  10  is made portable. Circuit board  20  also preferably includes circuitry necessary for operating unlatching mechanisms for retainers  40 . Circuit board  20  can thus do double duty providing some structural support for the closed ends of tubes  30 , while providing electrical connections necessary to operate the unlatching mechanisms arranged within tubes  30 .  
     [0032] A preferred embodiment of an unlatching mechanism  45  for retainers  40  is schematically shown in FIG. 4. The unlatching mechanism  45  is preferably arranged within an inner tube  35  fitted within support tube  30 . Unlatching mechanism  45  includes a latch pin  46  that is moveable laterally between a latched position shown in the upper part of FIG. 4 and an unlatched position shown in the lower part of FIG. 4. A spring  47  biases latch pin  46  into latching engagement with a latch edge  41  of retainer  40 , and to accomplish this, spring  47  is preferably a compression spring arranged between an end of inner tube  35  and a washer  48  fixed to latch pin  46 .  
     [0033] A shape memory material preferably in the form of a wire, tape, or other elongated element  50 , is preferably made of a nickel-titanium alloy, which provides the motive power for moving latch pin  46  to an unlatched position. The preference for using memory material  50  is based on factors such as light weight, compactness, low energy consumption, and reliable operation. To accomplish its task, memory material  50  extends from a connection  51  with latch pin  46  to a connection  52  with an adapter  53  arranged at a rear or closed end of inner tube  35 . Adapter  53  preferably has one of several plug-in connector forms so that it can plug into an electrified socket  56  pre-arranged on circuit board  20 . Alternatively, adapter  53  can have a soldered or other connection to a circuit element on board  20 .  
     [0034] More details of unlatching mechanism  45  are shown in FIG. 5. A wire  55  completing a circuit for memory material  50  preferably extends from washer  48  along the length of inner tube  35  to an electrical connection on circuit board  20 . For this purpose, inner tube  35  can be formed with a groove to receive and hold wire  55  in place when inner tube  35  is fitted within outer support tube  30 . Wire  55  need not be formed of memory material, and the illustrated preferred arrangement economizes on the more expensive memory material  50 . Its connections  51  and  52  are preferably formed by crimping, swaging, or other mechanical attachment. When memory material  50  is in the form of a wire, it can be threaded through holes in connectors  51  and  52  and then crimped in place. Memory material  50  can also be arranged in its own complete circuit by extending in a loop from circuit board  20  to latch pin  46  and back to circuit board  20 .  
     [0035] Retainer  40  is preferably biased to an unlatched position by a orsion spring  42  having one end engaging retainer  40  and another end fixed in place on tube  30 . Many other arrangements of torsion springs are possible. When unlatched by movement of latch pin  46 , retainer  40   a  springs open to the position illustrated in the lower part of FIG. 4.  
     [0036] The preferred unlatching mechanism  45  co-operates with the other elements explained above in holding objects  25  securely in place within the dispensing array until a retainer  40  is unlatched by movement of latch pin  46 . This occurs via memory elements and circuitry arranged on circuit board  20 . Retainers  40  can be selectively unlatched to dispense objects  25  at a dispensing site or to make array spaces available for loading objects  25  into the array.