CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/413,093, filed November 12, 2010, titled "REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR A KIOSK DISPENSARY," which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

This invention relates to a climate controlled arrangement for a dispensary apparatus and has particular application to such an arrangement for storing items, such as pills, drugs, and fluid medicines in an automated, networked dispensary for dispensing to a user, and more particularly relates to a pick head arrangement for picking and loading items, such as pills, drugs and fluid medicines, in a climate controlled arrangement for a dispensary apparatus for dispensing to a user.

BACKGROUND

The traditional means of dispensing prescribed medicaments involves a doctor meeting with a patient, prescribing a medicament based on a particular diagnosis, and then hand writing and signing the prescription for the patient to carry to a pharmacist at a pharmacy location for fulfillment. In recent years, two major advances have occurred in the field of medicament dispensing. The first is the advent of electronic prescription capturing methods, systems and apparatus, which improve the overall accuracy and patient record-keeping associated with prescribing drugs. The second is the advent of automated apparatus, typically configured as kiosks, from which medicaments can be automatically dispensed, the kiosks being located for convenient patient access, such as at a doctor's premises, a hospital or mall, and being networked with a system server for inventory control and management. In this regard, reference may be made Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Application Serial Number PCT/CA2007/001220, titled

"Method, System and Apparatus for Dispensing Drugs," related to a method, system and apparatus for dispensing drugs. More specifically, the PCT application describes a networked system having a server, a database of patient information linked to the server, a first client having input means linked to the server and operable to generate a script for a medicament prescribed to a user, a second client comprising an automated apparatus for dispensing medicaments (referred to in said PCT application as a robotic prescription dispensary) operable to recognize a human and/or machine readable description in the script, and to provide validating cross-referencing between the description and patient information as a prelude to dispensing a drug to the user on the basis of the input script. A doctor in a clinic can be a third client having input means linked to the server to input appropriate prescription information, or accept certain prescription information from the database as being applicable in the particular case for a particular patient. Further, the doctor's client device can be operable to display patient information, e.g., drug history, insurance coverage, etc., and a printer module can print the script as a paper print-out.

The server and database enable storing, compiling and retrieval of patient data including name, address, and diagnostic and drug history. Access to the database can be provided to both the doctor and the automated apparatus for dispensing medicaments via the server, via a secure connection, or via a link between the system and a clinic's existing clinic management system or patient database. The apparatus also includes a dispensary apparatus such as a kiosk dispensary including a user interface, a teleconferencing or video-conferencing means enabling communication between the user and a human validation agent such as a licensed pharmacist, and a scanning means for capturing an image of the script so that it, if needed, it can be viewed by the human validation agent. The human validation agent communicates from a remote location over the network with the user and with other functions within the kiosk dispensary to monitor and approve a dispensing procedure. The user interface of the dispensary apparatus provides detailed and clear instructions to guide the user.

An authentication means confirms the identity of the patient, for example, by prompting for a personal identification number or by biometric means or by associating certain questions to answers provided by the patient that identify the patient to the apparatus, and cross-referencing this information with the patient information stored on the networked database. Once the patient is recognized, the dispensary apparatus prompts the user for a script and the apparatus processes the user-input script either by the above-mentioned human validation agent or by processing the machine readable description (which may be a bar code). This information can be verified with the server and the database. The apparatus may also interface with the server to adjudicate insurance claims and to determine amounts payable by patients. The patient either accepts or rejects the transaction. If the transaction is accepted, the apparatus interfaces with the server to transact a payment, for example, by prompting the patient for credit card information. Prescription labels and receipts are printed at the dispensary apparatus and a check is made by the apparatus to confirm that the drug is correct. The drug is then delivered to a dispensing bay for retrieval by the user while the script is retained in a lock box. A verification process is then undertaken to ensure that the purchased drug has been retrieved from the dispensing bay. Further, the apparatus may print and/or provide to the user educational materials relevant to the medicaments that have been dispensed. The automated dispensing apparatus for performing such operations is of significant value in enabling a patient to obtain prescribed medicaments without having to attend a pharmacy or drug store. A dispensary kiosk for use in the previously described networked system must offer efficient storage, handling and dispensing of medicaments such as pill boxes. This may take the form of a rack having an array of variously sized bins permitting the storage of prepackaged items of different sizes and shapes. In addition to the rack of bins, the kiosk dispensary may have bulk storage modules for storing magazines of pills and reservoirs of fluid medicines. The pill storage magazines can have associated means for dispensing required numbers of pills from the magazines and packaging the dispensed pills in a container such as a box or bottle. Similarly, the fluid storage reservoirs can have associated means for dispensing required volumes of the fluid medicines and packaging the dispensed fluids in bottles or like containers.

Medicament packages to be dispensed at a robotically controlled dispensing kiosk may be prepackaged pill boxes, bottles or the like having a range of sizes, shapes, weight, weight distribution and surface condition, all of which may create handling problems for a robotic system. Drug companies frequently change packaging, so control algorithms may become ineffective if a control algorithm is based on the product packaging. A control algorithm that prescribes a handling method based solely on pre-recorded product package information (weight, size, etc.) is prone to error. To reduce package handling problems, uniform style and shape of outer-packaging can be applied to medicament products, although this is not preferred as it adds additional handling and expense, may introduce other errors, and results in extra packaging materials. Ideally, the control algorithms and the package handling hardware utilized throughout a package picking process should be as flexible as possible commensurate with other demands of the dispensary kiosk.

In known medicament dispensary kiosks for dispensing bottles or packages of drugs or other medicament packages, the packages are typically stacked in a row column rack of bins. To pick a package from a bin, a pick head is driven in X and Y directions to a desired XY position. A platform forming part of the pick head is then moved in the Z direction to pick the package from the selected bin. In a prior implementation of a pick head as described in the co-pending Canadian Patent Application Serial No. 2,639,239, titled "Automated Apparatus For Dispensing Medicaments," filed August 29, 2008, (hereinafter the "Canadian Application"), with a pick head at a desired XY position and a platform adjacent the target bin, the platform is moved to a position underlying a slot formed in a lower wall of the target bin. In the package pick action, after the platform is driven a sufficient distance rearwardly in the Z direction, the platform is raised so that an upwardly extending hook on the platform is brought to a position immediately behind the package to be picked. The package to be picked is then hooked out of the selected bin by driving the platform forwardly out of the rack of bins. Once the picked package is on the platform, further investigation is made to ensure the package is really the one whose selection is desired. Typically, this might include checking a bar code affixed to the package and/ or examining physical characteristics of the package such as its shape or weight. The platform, with the package supported upon it, is then moved to a rest position on the pick head whereupon the pick head is driven to another part of the apparatus as part of the dispensing procedure.

Within a medicament storage kiosk of the type described in the Canadian Patent Application, it is desirable to have the pick head and its operation occupy a small space so that as much rack space as possible can be used for the storage of medicaments. In the pick operation described previously, the raising of the platform once it has been driven under a bin means that a layer of space under each row of bins must be reserved. In addition, the 3-part platform movement - platform moves rearwardly, platform moves upwardly, platform moves forwardly- is a relatively complex procedure.

It would be valuable if at least a part of the layers of space under a bin, or alternatively under each row of bins, where the space would be reserved as the platform lifting space that could be used for further storage. It would be valuable also if a simpler procedure could be implemented for picking a product, or alternatively products that are in packages, from a bin or alternatively from the bins. It would be further valuable if many medicinal items to be picked as a product from a bin or storage area, or alternatively to be picked as a packaged product from one or more bins, can be stored for long periods without significant deterioration, where such products or prepackaged products or bulk materials may include compounds that may deteriorate at room temperature.

SUMMARY

According to one implementation, there is provided an apparatus for delivering items stored therein to a user. The apparatus includes a delivery zone accessible to the user, a control system, a climate controlled container (CCC) having products, which by way of non-limiting example may be a plurality of pre-packaged product storage containers for containing prepackaged product in a storage container. The storage container by way of non-limiting example may include a rack having a plurality of storage bins. The CCC has open and closed positions thereof, and a door having alternative open and closed conditions thereof such that the CCC assumes, respectively, the open and closed positions thereof. By way of non-limiting example, the door may be a flexible door that is operable so as to be alternatively in a rolled up condition thereof and an unrolled condition thereof such that the CCC assumes, respectively, the open and closed positions thereof. The apparatus also includes a pick head drive unit having a pick head. The control system is operable to pick one said product from the CCC by opening the door from its closed condition thereof to its open condition thereof such that the door of the CCC changes from the closed position thereof so as to assume the open position thereof. By way of non- limiting example, the door may be opened by rolling the flexible door from the unrolled condition thereof to the rolled up condition thereof such that the door of the CCC changes from the closed position thereof so as to assume the open position thereof. Then, driving, using the pick head drive unit, the pick head into the open CCC to a location. The location, by way of non- limiting example, may be a selected storage bin of the storage container rack where the product is being stored. The pick head then picks one or more such products for removal from the CCC. Then, the door is closed. By way of non- limiting example, in one implementation, the door can be flexible so that it can be closed by rolling the flexible door from the rolled up condition thereof to the unrolled condition thereof such that the door of the CCC changed from the open position thereof so as to assume the closed position thereof. Then, there can be an operating of the pick head drive unit to move the pick head to the delivery zone and release the picked product, or to release more than one such picked products in an alternative implementation, into the delivery zone so as to be assessable to the user.

In a further implementation, the CCC includes a bin, or in a still further alternative, a rack of storage bins. The pick head includes a platform, a pick head drive unit to drive the pick head to an access location corresponding to a location, such as a selected bin. Implementations include a platform drive unit to drive the platform into and out of the CCC from the access location, where the platform can have a cam formation for lifting a product stored in a location, such as a selected bin, when the platform reaches an actuation position in the course of a platform entry. The platform has an engagement means to engage the product when the platform reaches a withdrawal position in the course of an entry condition of the platform, where the engagement means in the course of a platform exit condition, acts to drag the product out of its location in the CCC, which by way of non-limiting example can be the dragging of a package out of a selected bin.

In a still further implementation, the CCC includes a storage location, which for instance may be in a bin. Alternatively, there can be many such storage locations in a rack of storage bins. The pick head drive unit is operated to drive the pick head to the storage location. The storage location can be an access location corresponding to a selected bin. An operation of a platform drive unit is conducted to drive the platform into and out of the storage location, for instance the rack from the access location, by means of a cam formation on the platform lifting a product stored in the storage location, for instance in a selected bin, when the platform reaches an actuation position in the course of the platform entry, by means of an engagement means on the platform engaging the product, which can be a selected package, when the platform reaches a withdrawal position in the course of platform entry, and by means of the engagement between the engagement means and the product so as to drag the product out of the storage location, which may be the selected bin, in the course of the platform exit from the CCC.

According to other implementations, methods are provided for operating the foregoing apparatus implementations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the following figures are not drawn to common scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods, operation and functions of related elements of structure, and the combinations of parts and economies of manufacture, will become apparent upon consideration of the following non-limiting description with reference to the accompanying non- limiting drawings, and will become apparent upon consideration of the following claims, all of which form a part of the specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a dispensary kiosk in which an insulated container unit forming an implementation can be mounted, the figure showing the kiosk connected into a network;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the dispensary kiosk of Figure 1 with a front end unit remove to reveal a back end storage layer;

Figure 3 is a front view of the kiosk of Figure 1 showing a user interface;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an insulated container unit (ICU) according to one implementation, with door open and storage bins removed from within the ICU;

Figure 5 is a front view of the ICU of Figure 4 with door closed;

Figure 6 is a side sectional view on the line A- A of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a partial sectional view to a larger scale of an opening/door unrolling mechanism shown at B in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a partial sectional view to a larger scale of a closing/door rolling mechanism shown at B in Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a partial sectional view to a larger scale of a closing/door rolling mechanism shown at E in Figure 5; FIG. 10 is a front view of a storage apparatus for a package dispensing kiosk according to one implementation;

FIG. 11 is a front view of a storage apparatus for a package dispensing kiosk according to one implementation;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a bin rack forming part of the storage apparatus of FIG.

11;

FIG. 13 shows a detail from the front of a rack of bins forming part of the storage apparatus of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one implementation of pick head for use in picking items from a storage bin;

FIG. 15 is partial view of a part of the platform of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 14, but showing a reciprocal platform thereof in an extended position;

FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view through part of the pick head and adjacent storage bin according to an implementation;

FIG. 18 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to the view of FIG. 17, but showing a platform forming part of the pick head in a rearward position;

FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to the view of FIG. 17, but showing the platform in a more rearward position;

FIG. 21 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to the view of FIG. 17, but showing the platform in a package drop position;

FIG. 22 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to the view of FIG. 17 but showing the pick head and picked package retrieved from a bin rack;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a pick head according to another implementation, the arrangement shown with a platform forming part of the pick head in an unextended condition;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 23 but showing the platform in an extended condition;

FIG. 25 is a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to the views of FIGS. 23 and 24.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a pick head according to a further implementation, the arrangement shown with a platform forming part of the pick head in an unextended condition;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a platform and spool arrangement forming a part of the

FIG. 26 implementation;

FIG. 28 is a side view of the platform and spool arrangement of FIG. 27; FIG. 29 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 26 but showing the pick head in an extended condition;

FIG. 30 shows a detail from the front of a rack of bins forming part of a storage apparatus according to an implementation; and

FIG. 31 shows a top view of the detail of FIG. 30.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring in detail to Figure 1, there is shown an apparatus for delivering items stored therein to a user. The depicted implementation of the apparatus is illustrated by way of a schematic top view of a dispensary kiosk 8 for dispensing products. By way of non- limiting examples, the products can be packaged, and the products can be drugs, drug packages and other items. The kiosk is connected into a network, illustrated schematically in Figure 1, which includes several other dispensary kiosks, a medical records database, a drug history database, a physician centre, an inventory control centre and a technical support center. The network permits information related to a dispensing transaction to be obtained from and delivered to nodes on the network remote from the dispensary, and permits communication between a user at the kiosk and a human agent. The human agent, by way of example, can be a pharmacist, or agent thereof, who is able to monitor, and initiate, the dispensing transaction. He or she determines on the basis of all monitored information whether a dispensing transaction is to be completed and may also access records data and other expertise, repositories of some of which records data and expertise are depicted in Figure 1.

The dispensary kiosk 8 can be configured, in alternative implementations, as a number of layers, the elements of each layer having particular functions in relation to a dispensing operation. At the rear of the dispensary kiosk as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a storage layer 10 having a series of rack modules 11 mounted on a back wall of kiosk cabinet 13. The rack modules each have a row column array of bins 15 permitting the storage of products. In alternative implementations, the products can be prepackaged items of different size and shape. In front of the storage layer 10 is an access layer 12 in which is mounted a gantry 17 and pick head 19 for use in picking medicament items from the bins 15 and for placing items into the bins. A suitable pick head mechanism can be of the type described in co-pending U.S. patent application serial no. 12/503,989, filed on July 16, 2009, titled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PICKING A PACKAGE FROM A DISPENSING SYSTEM," which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. The storage layer 10 and the access layer 12 together form a secure back end storage vault. In front of the access layer 12 is a function layer 14 which houses function units (not shown) such as a transfer module, a labelling module and a conveyor. Within the function layer, items picked from the storage layer are subject to various processes necessary before an item picked from the storage bin can be dispensed to a user. At the front of the dispensary kiosk is a user interface layer 16 which provides access for a user to present a script, to communicate with a remote pharmacist over the network, and to obtaining dispensed drugs or other medicaments from the dispensary kiosk as prescribed by the presented scripts. As shown in Figure 3, the user interface includes a touch screen 22, a hailing speaker 24, a camera 26, a digital payment module 28, an insurance card reader 30, a dispense door 32 which opens to provide user access to a dispensing bay 33, a scanner 34, a printer 36, a telephone 38, and cash note and coin payment modules 40 and 41 respectively. The user interface layer 16 and the function layer 14 together form a front end unit which is hinged (not shown) to the back end vault and functions as a door to prevent unauthorized access to the drug vault but to permit authorized access to the vault for servicing.

While most items (e.g.; products) can be stored in the storage layer at room temperature, certain items may need to be climate controlled. For instance, some items stored in the apparatus may need to be kept at a temperature below room temperature in order to avoid deterioration and maintain product efficacy. Such items are stored in a climate controlled environment. By way of example, but not by way of limitation, the climate controlled environment can be a Climate Controlled Container (CCC). The CCC can be in fluid communication with an environmental control device in order to control the environment within the CCC. By way of example, the CCC may be in thermal communication with a temperature control device to control temperature within the CCC. In one implementation, the temperature control device can be a refrigerator device to cool plurality of pre-packaged product storage containers within the CCC. In one alternative implementation, the CCC can be configured as an insulated box having inlet and exhaust ducts through a wall of the CCC for fluid communication with a temperature control device to control temperature within the CCC. The ducts can include an inlet duct for injection into a fluid into the CCC and an outlet duct for venting of the fluid from the CCC.

A further implementation of the CCC can be an insulated container unit (ICU) 60 which is shown in the top right of the kiosk cabinet 13 illustrated in Figure 2 and which is shown to a larger scale in Figure 4. One or more of the ICUs can be mounted in the storage layer 10 adjacent a top wall of the kiosk cabinet 13. If multiple ICUs are installed, the units are mounted side-by- side to provide adjacent access to refrigerating units 62 mounted on top of the cabinet. The ICUs are dimensioned to permit them to be swapped with rack modules 11 depending on the relative spaces to be committed to room temperature storage and to refrigerated storage. By positioning the ICUs in the storage layer 10, the units are made accessible to the pick head 19 which is moved in the access layer 12.

As shown in Figures 4 and 6, each ICU includes an insulated box 64 having rear, side, top and bottom walls, respectively 66, 68, 70 and 72, and an open front face. Projecting from the rear wall 66 of each ICU are brackets (not shown) shaped and dimensioned to cooperate with corresponding slots (not shown) in a back wall of the cabinet 13 to fix the ICU within the kiosk. The slots also permit mounting of other kiosk modules such as the storage and loading rack modules 11.

The walls of box 64 are formed of vacuum insulation panels having a layer of polyurethane foam insulation sandwiched between inner and outer walls. Such a structure provides very high insulating efficiency. If a less efficient unit is satisfactory, the panels can be of a cheaper and more conventional polyurethane foam sandwich construction. Each ICU has an insulated inlet duct 80 to pass cooled air from the refrigerating unit 62 to the interior of the ICU, and an exhaust duct 82 to vent warmed air from the interior of the ICU. With the ICU mounted in the kiosk cabinet, the ducts 80, 82 extend to apertures in the top wall of the kiosk cabinet 13 for connection to the refrigerating unit 62. Soft gaskets mounted on top of each of the ducts 80, 82 provide seals between the ICU unit and the top of the kiosk cabinet.

The refrigerating unit 62 is of conventional form in which vapor refrigerant at low pressure is piped to a compressor at or marginally higher than the temperature of the interior of the ICU. There, the vapor is compressed and piped from the compressor as super-heated vapor at relatively high pressure. The super-heated vapor is directed through condenser coils that are cooled by room temperature air outside the ICU. As the vapor cools, it liquefies and is fed to an expansion valve where it is subjected to lower pressure causing evaporation of some of the refrigerant fluid with latent heat of evaporation being drawn from that part of the refrigerant that is still liquid. The refrigerant continues to pass through the coils and warmed air from the ICU is blown across the coils whereupon the refrigerant fully vaporizes to draw further heat from the circulating air. The cooled air is then returned through the inlet duct. While it is preferred that each ICU has its own refrigerating unit, in an alternative implementation, a single refrigerating unit is used with interconnected duct work connected to the respective inlet and outlet ducts of the ICUs.

The ICU 60 is used to store any kiosk item that needs to be kept at low temperature in order to prevent deterioration. Such items may include, for example, pill boxes stored in storage bins or slots. They may also include bulk materials such as pill magazines and reservoirs of medicinal fluids, such bulk materials having associated handling units for pill counting and fluid metering, and also having associated packaging means. The magazines, reservoirs and the handling and packaging units are normally mounted on the back wall of the box but may be supported alternatively on any of the other walls of the box.

As previously indicated, for storage and access efficiency, it is desirable to have all elements of the ICU confined to the kiosk storage layer. To that end, a door 84, which normally covers the open face of the box 64, can be configured in one non-limiting example, as a flexible sliding door that can be rolled up as the door is opened and then unrolled as the door is closed. Consequently, the door is moved between opened and closed position in a relatively narrow planar region at the open face so that door opening and closing operations use less space in the kiosk depth dimension than might be the case if the door were hinged. In addition, this means that the door does not impede the use of one or more of the pick heads 19 as they are operated in the access layer to pick or place items in the rack modules 11. The door 84 is made of a sheet of flexible plastic having sufficiently low thermal conductivity to avoid sweating. The thickness of the door material is a compromise between a thick material to increase its insulation rating, and thin material which is desirable in order to minimize the space needed to store the door when it is rolled up upon opening.

The ICU includes an unrolling/opening drive mechanism 86 at the top of the ICU as shown in Figure 6 and in the partial sectional view of Figure 7, and a rolling/closing drive mechanism 88 at the bottom of the ICU as shown in Figure 6 and in the partial sectional view of Figure 8. A chamber 90 located in front of the ducts 80, 82 houses a roller drive 92 having an associated motor (not shown), and an idler roller 94 which operates to keep the door 84 in an upright, flat condition during opening and closing. An upper end of the door is mounted to a sleeve 96 which is itself mounted to the roller drive 92. The sleeve 96 has an outer diameter sufficiently large to enable the flexible door material to wrap easily around the sleeve as the door is rolled up.

At the bottom of the cabinet as shown in Figures 8 and 9, plastic pulleys 98 are mounted to respective ends of a shaft 100, the shaft being driven from a motor 102 by a timing belt 104. Respective ends of a cable 106 attached to a bar 108 mounted along the bottom edge of the door 84 run through the pulleys 98. As the pulleys are driven, the bar 108 is pulled down to close the door 84, with the cable 106 acting to provide equal force to each side of the door to keep it straight as it moves up and down. To maintain the flexible door material in tension, the top roller drive 92 rotates slightly faster than the bottom pulleys 98 during opening and closing operations. The ICU has door seals at left and right side channels 110 and at the top and bottom of the door aperture. Each of the side seals includes a layer of antistatic tape 112 adhering to both door surfaces at each edge of the door to reduce static force on the door as it is moved up and down in the channels 110. In the channel interior, a layer 114 of felt material ensures close fitting of the door 84 within the channels, while a plastic breaker layer 116 is located between the felt layer and the cabinet. The breaker layer 116 forms the primary interface between the relatively cool interior of the cabinet and the relatively warm surroundings. A top seal is similarly formed to provide door sealing during opening as the door passes through a slot in the box at the top of the door aperture. Finally, the arrangement includes a bottom seal where the door 84 seats in a lower channel formation at the bottom of the door aperture when the door is fully closed.

As shown in Figure 4, the ICU includes mechanical limit switches 124, 125. Formed on the bar 108 are rigid protrusions 126, one of which is positioned to trigger the upper limit switch 124 to terminate the opening process, the other being positioned to trigger the bottom limit switch 125 to terminate the closing process.

In use, to pick an item from an ICU 60 or to place an item into the ICU, the pick head 19 is moved in the access plane to a position in front of the door 84, whereupon the door is opened to allow the item to be picked or placed. The timing of the door opening and closing is coordinated with the pick head operation to minimize the opportunity for heat transfer between the interior of the ICU 60 and the external surroundings. To open the door from a fully closed position, power is applied to the roller drive 92, to cause the door 84 to be slid upwardly and wound around the sleeve 96. As the door moves up, the cable 106 is unwound from the bottom pulleys 98 and through a gear arrangement, drives the belt 104 to rotate the motor 102. When the upper protrusion 126 contacts the upper limit switch 124, the door opening mechanism stops the door at a fully open position. To close the door from a fully open position, the process is reversed to apply power to the bottom motor. The door is fully closed when the lower protrusion 126 contacts the bottom limit switch 125.

It will be appreciated that to maintain low depth, the ICU door can alternatively be implemented as a solid sliding door as opposed to a rolling door. However, the flexible door is preferred as the rigid sliding door either requires more area space for storage or must be a multipart unit requiring a more complex arrangement of seals. It will be appreciated also that the door of the illustrated implementation is pulled up to open and pulled down to close. Clearly, in an alternative configuration, the door can be pulled down to open and up to close, or can be pulled from side to side to execute the opening and closing functions. While the preferred material of the door is a closed cell plastics, to prevent heat leakage and sweating, it will be appreciated that the door may be made of a woven material or may have a series of articulated elements.

While the ICU is shown as a box form unit to be stored in the top of the kiosk, the unit can be located at another convenient location in the kiosk storage vault, with the refrigerating unit being accessed through a different wall. In addition, the ICU can be configured in a shape other than the box form illustrated.

Referring in detail to FIGS. 10 and 11, there is shown a cabinet 10 for a dispensing kiosk, the cabinet having a rack 11 of storage bins 12 arranged in a row and column array. The bins may be of a uniform shape and size or, as shown, may vary in shape and size to accommodate different sizes of packages to be dispensed. Particularly for the application envisioned for the present invention, the rack of storage bins is formed as a secure back end medicament storage vault. The storage vault is in use combined with a front end unit (not shown) which bars unauthorized access to the drug vault but which can be opened to expose the drug vault for servicing. Mounted in the front end unit is an interface unit (not shown) at which a user, can enter data, communicate with a remote expertise or data records through a data or teleconference link, and collect dispensed packages, etc. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, each bin has a pair of side walls 14 with the side walls of inner ones of the bins also being the side walls of immediately laterally adjacent bins. Similarly, each bin has an upper wall 15 and a lower wall or floor 16, with the upper and lower walls of the inner bins forming the lower and upper walls of immediately vertically adjacent bins. The rack of bins has a rear wall 17 extending the full extent of the array although, as an alternative, stub rear walls can be used for each row of bins in place of the fully extending rear wall. The bins have a front to back depth typically to accommodate a row of four packages. In a typical application, these are pill boxes or bottles, but may also be bottles containing dispensed liquid medicaments or may be different packages entirely. An implementation relates to the manner of picking a package, which may be a single package within a bin or which may be the first package of a vertical stack or of a horizontal row of packages which have to be selectively manipulated to obtain access to a desired package.

A chosen product, which in various implementations can be a packaged product, is picked from its position at a storage location. The storage location, by way of non-limiting example, can be in the rack of bins and, if part of a stack or row of packages, from its position within the stack or row, in preparation for dispensing the package at an access bay in the front end interface unit. Each of the bin floors 16 has a slot 18 which is generally centered within the floor and which extends from the front access side 19 of the bin to a position near the rear of the bin. As shown in FIG. 10, a pick head 20 is mounted on a vertically reciprocal carriage 21 which is driven by a belt drive 22 along a vertical guide rail 23. The rail 23 is mounted between two horizontally reciprocal carriages 24. The carriages 24 are driven by belt drives 26 along horizontal rails 28. The carriages 21 and 24 move in a plane which extends parallel to a front access side 19 of the bin rack 11. In this way, the pick head 20 can be placed adjacent any selected one of the bins 12 at the front access side 19 of the bin rack.

In one implementation, and as shown in perspective view in FIGS. 14 and 16, the pick head 20 includes a platform 32 and a scissors type telescopic supporting linkage 34 (FIG. 16) driven by a motor 36 and a belt 38. The motor and belt operate to drive the platform 32 reciprocally in the Z direction (as shown by the arrow in FIG. 16) rearwardly towards the selected bin from which a package is to be picked, and then forwardly to drag the picked package out of the selected bin and onto the platform 32 from where the selected package can be carried by the pick head 20 to various stations within the apparatus, such as checking and labeling stations (not shown) before being dispensed to a user. To reduce the chance of a package being dislodged or wrongly positioned on the platform as it is dragged from the selected bin, the platform can be formed with an upper surface that slopes downwardly towards, or is recessed at, a generally central region, so that a package supported on the platform is biased by its own weight towards the central region.

The platform has an upwardly facing cam formation 40 (shown enlarged in the partial view of FIG. 14), the projection having a rear cam face 42 and a forward abutment face 44. To initiate a pick process, the platform 32 is driven by linkage 34 into the bin rack as shown in FIGS. 17-18. The platform is at a height at which it slides under the floor 16 of the selected bin as shown in FIGS. 19-20. As the platform is driven into the bin rack, the projection 40 passes along the slot 18 in the floor 16 of the selected bin with a top part of the projection 40 extending above the upper surface of the floor. A cross member 45 extending through the projection 40 is positioned so that as the platform 32 enters the bin rack, the cross member 45 becomes inserted in the junction between the floor 16 of the bin and the package to be picked. The cross member 45 has a number of functions. Firstly, it is supported by the floor 16 of the selected bin as the platform enters the bin rack and so acts to prevent the platform 32 from sagging. The cross member also aids in guiding the projection 40 into a proper position for subsequent retrieval of a package from the selected bin. The cross member also keeps the package being picked relatively aligned with the direction of pick head exit throughout the pick process. Finally, the cross member is of value in separating a package from the floor 16 of the selected bin and, in terms of depth, in separating a package from an adjacent package within a row of packages. As alluded to previously, during a product (or a packaged product) picking cycle, the platform is driven rearwardly into the bin rack to pick up a desired package from the selected bin 12 and then is driven forwardly out of the bin rack to drag the picked package from the selected bin. Successive phases of the platform movement are shown as sectional views in FIGs 17, 19 and 21. In FIG. 19, the platform 32 has reached a position in its rearward movement in which the cam face is starting to lift a pill bottle 46 from the bin floor 16 and also forcing the bottle to tilt with the mouth end of the bottle 46 raised above the bin floor. As shown in FIG. 20, the platform has moved further rearwardly to a position where it has passed under the bottle's center of gravity and the bottle is repositioned to alter its angle of tilt relative to the bin floor. After still further rearward motion of the platform, the platform reaches a drop position as shown in FIG. 21 at which the bottle 46, under its own weight, drops down against the bin floor with the abutment face 441ocated adjacent a trailing extremity of the pill bottle 46. At this point, drive to the platform provided by the telescopic linkage 34 is reversed. As shown in FIG. 22, as the platform 32 moves forwardly out of the bin rack, the abutment face 44 bears against the bottle 46 to drag the bottle out of the selected bin with the bottle falling onto the platform and becoming supported by it as the platform emerges from the rack.

In the implementation shown in FIGS. 17 through 22, the package to be picked forms part of a row of packages with part of an immediately rearwardly adjacent pill box 48 being shown. As can be seen, as a result of the lifting and tilting movement of the pill bottle 46 and pill box 48 during the course of the pick cycle, the opposed ends of the two packages are forced apart. This has particular value in relation to two common problems in dispensing packages, especially in dispensing pill boxes from a row of such boxes.

One problem of dispensing articles such as pill boxes which are relatively lightweight is that packages may stick together causing two boxes to be loaded onto the pick head platform rather than one package. In the storage bin, two package boxes may be caused to stick together if they press against each other for a long period during storage, especially if the boxes are made of cardboard and have been subjected to humid conditions. This increases the chance that when the pick head lifts one box, it may actually lift both, creating a double pick error. The passage of the cam formation 40 completely under the first box- the package to be picked- and partly under a rearwardly adjacent box tends to cause a separation angle to open up between the two packages and, additionally, forces the packages incrementally from their stored positions to establish a temporary height difference at the interface of the two packages. If the attraction between the stuck faces is overcome in the course of the projection passing progressively under the two packages, then only the package intended to be picked will be dragged from the selected bin. A back end storage bin rack such as that shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 may be implemented with one standard bin size or, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 or FIGS. 30 and 31, as a combination of different bin sizes enabling packages of diverse shapes and sizes to be stored. In addition, the storage bins may hold standard or non-standard sized pill bottles or boxes or other medicaments such as bulk medication storage containers, bandages, etc. Some or all of the storage bins may be located in a zone of the bin rack which is at room temperature, while others may be located in a controlled temperature section such as a refrigerated zone for proper storage of medicaments that are prone to deterioration at room temperature. If desired, a reconstitution, mixing and/ or compounding bulk medication storage container can be present in an over-large bin, the container housing one or more elements to be picked by the pick head.

At the time of a package pick by the control system, the package characteristics are known because each package is measured and its dimensions recorded in the course of the package being serialized and put into inventory in a selected bin of the bin rack. Also recorded are any or all of the package's weight, shape, moment arm, and other particulars pertaining to the location and nature of the package and each of these can be used in the package handling control algorithm.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, sensors 50 at the pick head 20 sense the size of the package that has been picked to determine that a single package has been picked and to determine that there have been no common errors such as a stuck pick, where the package sits in place due, for example, to slipperiness, or a double pick, where two packages in close proximity are either tangled or stuck together. The control system, using input from the sensors and specific data for the package being picked, determines likely errors and initiates appropriate control maneuvers to try to overcome a problematic pick. Obviously, characteristics of the packages other than or in addition to size can be sensed by sensors incorporated in the pick head. Such characteristics can include, for example, shape and/ or weight.

An alternative design of platform and drive is shown in the implementation of FIG. 23-25. The platform 32 is fixed to one end of a spool 52 of actuator tape 54. The tape is a heavy duty version of retracting tape rule. As is known in the tape rule art, the actuator tape has a curved lateral profile. This allows the tape to be readily bent in one direction to allow compact storage on the spool 52 when the spool is wound up but resists bending in the opposite direction whereby it can drive the platform 32 and a medicament package supported by the platform in a pick or load operation when the spool is unwound. The platform 32 is somewhat narrower than the platform of the FIGS. 14-16 implementation and has an end region formed with a tapered blade

58 with a cam face 42 and an abutment face 44 having the same function as the cam and abutment faces, 42, 44, of the projection 40 in the FIGS. 14-16 implementation. This particular implementation can be used with a bin without a slotted floor. In a pick operation, after the pick head 20 reaches the desired XY position, the spool 52 of actuator tape is driven to unwind the tape 54 so that the platform 32 is driven rearwardly towards the selected bin. As best shown in FIG. 21, the platform 32 is brought to a position where the leading edge of the tapered blade 58 is aligned with the upper surface of floor of the selected bin 12 so that further rearward motion of the platform acts to insert the tip of the blade between the bin floor 16 and the foremost package stored in the bin. As the spool is further unwound, the tapered blade 58 is driven rearwardly along the floor 16 of the bin with the cam face 42 operating to raise the desired package and with the platform 32 supported on the floor of the selected bin. The desired package 46 is prevented from moving rearwardly in the bin 12 either by the back wall 17 (not shown) or by a next adjacent package in a row of such packages which is prevented from rearward motion by wall 17. With the rearward motion of the desired package prevented or halted, the desired package rides up and over the cam formation 42 onto the platform 32 as the platform is driven rearwardly into the selected bin. Subsequently, the platform is withdrawn from the bin rack as the spool 52 is rewound so as to withdraw the desired package 46 which is then supported by the platform. The abutment face 44 acting on the desired package assists in the withdrawal of the package if the force of engagement between the platform upper surface and the desired package is insufficient to drag the package out of the bin rack, or if minor jamming occurs and must be overcome.

In contrast to the FIGS. 14-16 implementation, the FIG. 23 implementation can be readily utilized for loading packages into selected bins 12 as an alternative to manual loading. In the loading process, a package is loaded onto the platform 32 with the pick/load head 20 located at a receiving station in the dispensary kiosk. The pick/load head is then operated to bring the platform and the package supported by it to the selected bin. The spool 52 is then unwound in an operation similar to that taking place in the pick process. As the platform 32 moves rearwardly into the selected bin 12, the supported package is driven as far as is permitted depending on what other packages are already stored in the bin. Subsequently, the tape spool is reversed to retrieve the platform from the selected bin, but only after a barrier not shown) mounted on the pick head 20 is moved to a position at which the platform 32 can exit the selected bin, but any package supported on the platform is preventing from being dragged or driven out of the bin.

A variation of the FIG. 23 implementation is shown in FIGS. 26 through 29. Like the FIG.

23 implementation, the pick head 20 uses a spool drive 52 as shown in FIGS. 27-28. Tape at the pick head inboard end is confined and supported by two retainer plates 60 as the spool 52 is unwound and, similarly to the FIG. 23 implementation, is supported by the engagement of the platform 32 sliding onto the floor of a selected bin at the tape outboard end. In the FIG. 26 implementation, the platform 32 combines features of the FIG. 23 and FIG. 17 implementations. Thus the platform 32 is adapted for use with a storage bin having a front to rear slot (not shown) of the sort described with respect to the FIGS. 14-16 implementation. The platform has an integral web part 62 extending down from a main body part 63 of the platform, and a rail 64 extending laterally on either side of the web part. The web part moves within the bin floor slot as the platform 32 is driven into and out of the bin rack.

The main body part 63 of the platform slides over the upper surface of the bin floor and is supported by it, while the rail 64 slides along the undersurface of the bin floor. As the platform nears its home station position in the pick head, the web part 62 moves between the retainer plates 60 with the rail under edge flanges 66 of the retainer plates. The platform has a cam formation 40 which projects above the bin floor but also has narrower central section 68 which, in use, extends down into the bin floor slot. A particular value of the cam formation is that the leading end of the platform 32 lifts and slides under any package that is very thin or that has a thin layer lying adjacent the bin floor which is encountered by the platform as it moves into the storage rack. As mentioned with respect to the FIG. 23 implementation, at certain junctures in the package picking and loading procedures, it is desirable to withdraw the platform 32 without withdrawing a package that is supported on the platform, or without withdrawing such a package any further than a predetermined position. As shown in FIG. 26, a barrier arrangement is provided by spaced plates 70 which can be driven perpendicularly to the pick head Z-axis to increase and decrease the spacing of the plates.

In operation, during a package loading procedure, the platform supporting the package to be loaded is driven into the bin rack. Once the package is in place, the plates 70 are driven to reduce their spacing and the platform 32 is withdrawn from the bin rack. The platform slides under lower edges 72 of the plates towards its home station in the pick head while the package which has been loaded in the selected bin and hitherto supported by the platform is blocked from exiting the selected bin by vertical edges 74 of the plates 70. The platform has a radiused rear formation 76 to reduce the risk of jamming of a package against the barrier as the platform 32 travels out of the bin rack. The plates have adjunct functions to both grip a package which has been picked from the bin rack when the picked package reaches a desired position in the pick head and also to center the package in the pick head.

As previously mentioned, a product to be picked may be stored in the apparatus in a storage location. In various non-limiting examples, the product can be in packages that may be stored in a bin rack either with one package in a bin, or with a row or stack of packages in a bin. The manipulation of a row of packages has already been described with reference to the illustrated implementations. In the case of a vertical stack of packages, the pick head platform and a barrier of the sort described with respect to FIG. 26 can be used to pick and extract the lowermost package in the stack, allowing upper members of the stack to drop. Similarly, a combination of camming and abutment formations together with a barrier of the sort described platform can be used to enable a package to be loaded under a resident stack of packages within a storage bin. In addition if it is desired to pick or place a package in an intermediate position in a stack or row, the pick head can be used to pick and temporarily park packages from a stack or row in an adjacent bin until a desired package is exposed for picking or until a desired location is exposed for loading.

Although in some implementations described herein, the bins are located in a rack as an array of rows and columns, other arrangements are also contemplated which, by way of non- limiting examples include arrays such as a radial array or a diagonal array. In such arrays, the rectangular form of bin may not be optimal and alternative bin shapes may be of advantage. In such alternative implementations, the lower wall or floor of the bin may not extend horizontally or may not extend horizontally over its full extent. In addition, while it is convenient to have a pick head that moves in a Z direction in relation to a bin rack generally mounted in an XY plane, the pick head drive may be implemented to effect a movement of the pick head into the bin rack in a locus which is not linearly along a z-axis. For example, the pick head is moved over an arcuate path or packages are held in one position and then twisted into a desired position as they are loaded or withdrawn from a storage bin.

In the implementations described, a product or a product in a package in a bin, is acted upon by gravity and this interaction of the stored products with the platform upper surface, the abutment edges and cam formations permits a ready and simple implementation of platform entry and exit to effect picking and loading of a product relative to a selected bin. While the effect of the product's own weight is convenient, the effect of gravity may be replaced by or supplemented by having a stored product acted upon by a bias such as a spring bias. Such a bias can be applied permanently while the product is in a bin or at the pick head or may be acted upon in the course of platform movement into and out of the bin rack. In such an arrangement, cam and/ or abutment formations may act in a manner similar to the illustrated implementations, but the package to be picked or loaded is moved against and by the action of the bias as opposed to or in addition to gravity.

Variation and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the implementations of the invention described and illustrated are not intended to be limiting. The principles of the invention contemplate many alternatives having advantages and properties evident in the exemplary implementations.

The steps of a method, process, or algorithm described in connection with the implementations disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The various steps or acts in a method or process may be performed in the order shown, or may be performed in another order. Additionally, one or more process or method steps may be omitted or one or more process or method steps may be added to the methods and processes. An additional step, block, or action may be added in the beginning, end, or intervening existing elements of the methods and processes.

The above description of the disclosed implementations is provided to enable any person of ordinary skill in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to these implementations will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.