Cassette assembly and unit dose medication cart using the cassette assembly

Abstract

A medication cart also holding at least one drawer or tray and at least one bin supported on the tray containing an array of drawers and bins, and a multi-level cassette assembly. An internal locking mechanism secures the cassette assembly when it is positioned in the medication cart, and an external locking mechanism secures the cassette assembly outside of the medication cart. In addition, the cassette assembly includes a mechanism that selectably provides access to an entire tray and all bins carried in it at one time or that provides access to single bins carried on the tray one at a time. This mechanism, more particularly, (a) permits a tray to be nearly fully withdrawn from the cassette assembly thereby exposing a major portion of all carried bins to access all of their contents, and (b) permits the tray to be only partially withdrawn from the cassette assembly so that only a minor portion is exposed but such that each bin can independently be removed from the tray one at a time to access its contents.

1 . A cassette assembly comprising: 
 a frame;    at least one cassette tray;    means for slidably supporting said cassette tray in said frame for movement between a retracted position and a withdrawn position;    at least one bin received in said cassette tray; and    a cassette tray limiting device for selectably limiting sliding movement of said cassette tray from the retracted position to an intermediate position between the retracted and withdrawn positions, wherein when said cassette tray is moved to the intermediate position at most a minor portion of said bin is exposed.    
   
   
       2 . The cassette assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said tray comprises an upstanding lip at its forward end and said bin comprises a front wall adapted to abut said lip when said bin is received in said tray.  
   
   
       3 . The cassette assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said lip of said tray and said bin are configured to permit said bin to be pivoted on said tray with said front wall clearing said lip when said tray is moved to the limited intermediate position.  
   
   
       4 . The cassette assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising an actuator for actuating said cassette tray limiting device.  
   
   
       5 . The cassette assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein said actuator is operative to place said cassette tray limiting device (a) in condition to limit sliding movement of the cassette tray to the intermediate position, and (b) in condition to permit movement of said cassette tray to the withdrawn position.  
   
   
       6 . The cassette assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said cassette tray limiting device includes a rod slidably mounted in said frame for movement between a first position and a second position.  
   
   
       7 . The cassette assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein said cassette tray includes a stop configured to engage said rod when said rod is in the first position and when said cassette tray is moved from the retracted position toward the withdrawn position.  
   
   
       8 . A cassette assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein said rod includes a tooth and said stop includes an abutting face for abutting said tooth when said rod is in the first position.  
   
   
       9 . A cassette assembly comprising: 
 frame means;    at least one cassette tray;    means for slidably supporting said cassette tray in said frame for movement between a retracted position and a withdrawn position;    at least one bin received in said cassette tray;    locking means for releasably securing said cassette tray in said frame in the retracted position;    means for limiting sliding movement of said cassette tray, when said locking means is released, from the retracted position to an intermediate position between the retracted position and the withdrawn position, wherein when said cassette tray is moved to the intermediate position at most a minor portion of said bin is exposed; and    actuating means for selectably actuating said limiting means (a) for limiting sliding movement of said cassette tray to the intermediate position and (b) for permitting sliding movement of said cassette tray to the withdrawn position.    
   
   
       10 . A cart comprising: 
 a support structure comprised of a plurality of support posts; and at least two side walls supported between said support posts, each said side wall having a corrugated interior surface; and    a cassette assembly removably supported in said support structure, said cassette assembly comprising:    a frame including side panels having ribbed outer surfaces, said ribbed outer surfaces being formed to engage said corrugated interior surfaces of said side walls of said support structure;    at least one cassette tray;    means for slidably supporting said cassette tray in said frame for movement between a retracted position and a withdrawn position;    at least one bin received in said cassette tray;    locking means for releasably securing said cassette tray in said frame in the retracted position;    means for limiting sliding movement of said cassette tray, when said locking means is released, from the retracted position to an intermediate position between the retracted position and the withdrawn position, wherein when said cassette tray is moved to the intermediate position at most a minor portion of said bin is exposed; and    actuating means for selectably actuating said limiting means (a) for limiting sliding movement of said cassette tray to the intermediate position and (b) for permitting sliding movement of said cassette tray to the withdrawn position.