Patent ID: 7952315

Claim:
A drive system for an automated medication cart which includes a plurality of vertically spaced medication trays, comprising; a base assembly, including a motor mounting assembly; a motor, having a drive shaft, responsive to control commands, mounted on the motor mounting assembly; a drive shaft case member; a cam assembly which includes a plurality of spaced cam members therealong, each cam member including a tray engaging portion, wherein the cam members are arranged such that the tray engaging portion of each cam member has a unique angular position around the circumference of the cam assembly; a first drive assembly for selectively engaging the motor with the drive shaft case member and the cam assembly, such that rotation of the motor in one rotational direction will rotate both the drive shaft case member and the cam assembly; and a second drive assembly for selectively engaging the motor with the cam assembly, such that rotation of the motor in an opposing rotational direction will rotate just the cam assembly, wherein the drive shaft case member includes a plurality of cam follower assemblies, one for each cam member, each cam follower assembly including one portion which engages an associated cam member, and another portion which engages a tray associated with the cam element, wherein when the one portion engages the cam element, rotation of the motor in the opposing rotational direction results in rotation of the associated engaged tray to a desired angular position.