Patent ID: 7624769

Claim:
A method for dispensing a custom formulation at a retail point of sale, comprising the steps of: providing at a retail store a point-of-sale custom formulation dispensing apparatus, including a plurality of ingredients, contained in ingredient containers that are carried on a common carrier, and a plurality of packages for filling, wherein the carrier is fixedly attached to a housing; transferring the ingredients into alignment with the package, such that a robot arm moves to the carrier and withdraws ingredients or ingredient containers therefrom and dispenses the ingredients into the package; dispensing a plurality of customer selected custom formulations with the apparatus; robotically installing a cap onto the packages; periodically causing the ingredient containers and packages of the apparatus to be refilled; operating the robot arm in at least three axes including at least two rotational axes for retrieving ingredients from their position on the carrier; and wherein the apparatus includes a computer, an automated dispensing apparatus for dispensing ingredients from the ingredient containers using the robot arm, a user interface for enabling a customer to select a custom formulation; and the housing that contains at least two components of the computer, the automated dispensing apparatus, the ingredients containers, and the packages for filling.