Container for use in a random access and random load dispensing unit

Abstract

The present invention provides a random access and random load dispensing unit including a housing, at least one support located in the housing and defining a first axis, a plurality of platforms movable along the support along the first axis, a plurality of bins supported on the platforms, the bins being movable with the platforms, and a shuttle assembly movable along the first axis and further movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis between the plurality of platforms to access and retrieve products stored in the bins.

1 . A container for use with a vending apparatus configured to deliver pharmaceuticals, the vending apparatus utilizing an automated retrieval assembly to retrieve the container, the container comprising: 
 a receptacle containing the pharmaceuticals;    a substantially rigid header coupled to the receptacle, the header including opposite end portions extending beyond an outer periphery of the receptacle, and two apertures through the header; and    a machine readable label located on the header.    
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the automated retrieval assembly comprises two hooks, and wherein the distance between the two apertures and the distance between the two hooks is substantially the same.  
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein each of the apertures defines a shape selected from a group consisting of: a shape having an apex, a shape having a partial apex, a diamond shape, a pentagon shape, and a circular shape.  
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the machine readable label is a barcode.  
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially rigid header comprises a material selected from a group consisting of: a plastic material, a paper material, and a cardboard material.  
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the machine readable label is coupled to the header using an adhesive.  
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the vending apparatus includes at least one bin to organize a plurality of containers, and wherein the opposite end portions of the header engage respective slots in the bin.  
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the header is substantially uniform.  
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the label comprises a removable backing.  
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein the removable backing comprises a tab that facilitates removal of the backing from the label.  
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container is a bag.  
     
     
         12 . A container for use with a vending apparatus configured to deliver pharmaceuticals, the vending apparatus utilizing an automated retrieval assembly to retrieve the container, the container comprising: 
 a receptacle including 
 an open end to deposit therein the pharmaceuticals;  
 two opposing side walls defining in part the open end;  
 a header including an insertion portion insertable into the open end of the receptacle between the opposing side walls;  
 opposite end portions extending beyond an outer periphery of the receptacle;  
 two apertures through the header; and  
   a barcode label having a barcode printed thereon, a first portion of the label being coupled to one of the side walls of the receptacle and to one side of the header, and a second portion of the label extending beyond an outer periphery of the header, the second portion of the label configured to couple to a second side of the header and the other side wall of the receptacle to at least partially close the open end of the receptacle.    
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the automated retrieval assembly comprises two hooks, and wherein the distance between the two apertures and the distance between the two hooks is substantially the same.  
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the substantially rigid header comprises a material selected from a group consisting of: a plastic material, a cardboard material, and a paper material.  
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the label is coupled to the header using an adhesive.  
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the vending apparatus includes at least one bin to organize a plurality of containers, and wherein the opposite end portions of the header engage respective slots in the bin.  
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein both of the receptacle and the header are made from the same plastic material, and wherein the header is heat staked to one of the walls of the receptacle.  
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein both the receptacle and the header are made from the same plastic material, and wherein the header is heat sealed to one of the walls of the receptacle.  
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the thickness of the header is substantially uniform.  
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the label comprises a removable backing.  
     
     
         21 . The container of  claim 20 , wherein the removable backing comprises a tab that facilitates removal of the backing from the label.  
     
     
         22 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the container is a bag.  
     
     
         23 . A container for use with a vending apparatus configured to deliver pharmaceuticals, the container comprising: 
 a receptacle containing the pharmaceuticals, the receptacle integrally formed in a shape similar to a clamshell;    a substantially rigid header integrally formed with the receptacle; and    a tag located on the header, said tag containing data correlating the pharmaceutical contained within the container, and the corresponding consumer for whom the pharmaceutical is intended.    
     
     
         24 . The container of  claim 23 , further comprising two apertures through the header, wherein each of the apertures defines a shape selected from a group consisting of a shape having an apex, a shape having a partial apex, a diamond shape, a pentagon shape, and a circular shape.  
     
     
         25 . The container of  claim 23 , wherein the tag is a barcode.  
     
     
         26 . The container of  claim 23 , wherein the thickness of the header is substantially uniform.  
     
     
         27 . A container for use with a vending apparatus configured to deliver pharmacy-filled prescriptions, the container comprising: 
 a receptacle containing a pharmacy-filled prescription;    a substantially rigid header coupled to the receptacle, the header being of substantially uniform thickness; and    a machine readable label located on the header.    
     
     
         28 . The container of  claim 27 , wherein the header is made from a material comprising a material selected from a group consisting of: a plastic material, a cardboard material, and a paper material.  
     
     
         29 . The container of  claim 27 , wherein the machine readable label comprises a barcode and is coupled to the header using an adhesive.  
     
     
         30 . The container of  claim 27 , wherein the container is a bag.  
     
     
         31 . The container of  claim 27 , wherein the vending apparatus includes at least one bin, and where a portion of the header is used to support the container within the bin.  
     
     
         32 . The container of  claim 31 , wherein the bin contains a plurality of containers.  
     
     
         33 . A container used to store a pharmacy-filled prescription within an automated vending device comprising: 
 a receptacle having a plurality of sidewalls, the side walls defining an enclosable space for storing the pharmacy-filled prescription;    a substantially rigid header located proximate to at least one sidewall;    a sensible information tag located on the header and containing data correlating a unique, pharmacist-filled prescription contained within the container to a corresponding consumer for whom the prescription was filled; the header providing a substantially fixable surface, allowing said tag to be located in information-sensing alignment with an information sensor located within an automated vending device.    
     
     
         34 . The container of  claim 33 , wherein the thickness of the header is substantially uniform.  
     
     
         35 . The container of  claim 33 , wherein the header is made from a material comprising a material selected from a group consisting of: a plastic material, a cardboard material, and a paper material.  
     
     
         36 . The container of  claim 33 , wherein the information tag is a barcode, and the information sensor is a barcode reader.  
     
     
         37 . The container of  claim 37 , wherein the barcode is a label, which is coupled to the header using an adhesive.  
     
     
         38 . The container of  claim 33 , wherein the container is a bag.  
     
     
         39 . The container of  claim 33 , wherein the vending apparatus includes at least one bin, and where a portion of the header is used to support the container within the bin.  
     
     
         40 . The container of  claim 39 , wherein the bin contains at least one notch, and the header cooperates with the notch to substantially fix the information tag at a particular location within the bin.  
     
     
         41 . A container used to store a pharmacy-filled prescription within an automated vending device comprising: 
 a receptacle having a plurality of sidewalls, the sidewalls defining a closed posterior portion, and a substantially enclosable space for storing a pharmacy-filled prescription;    a header coupled to a substantially anterior portion of at least one sidewall;    a sensible information tag located on the header, wherein the tag contains data correlating the pharmacy-filled prescription contained within the bag to a specific consumer for whom the prescription was filled; and    wherein the automated vending apparatus comprises a housing, an internal information sensor, a plurality of unique storage locations, and at least one customer access point, the container being locatable at a unique storage location such that the header presents a substantially fixed information sensing location allowing said tag to be located in sensible alignment with the information sensor.    
     
     
         42 . The container of  claim 41 , wherein the header is made from a material comprising a material selected from a group consisting of: a plastic material, a cardboard material, and a paper material.  
     
     
         43 . The container of  claim 42 , wherein the unique storage location comprises at least one notch and the header cooperates with the notch to substantially fix the sensible information tag at the information sensing location.  
     
     
         44 . The container of  claim 43 , wherein the sensible information tag is a barcode, and the information sensor is a barcode reader.  
     
     
         45 . The container of  claim 44 , wherein the container is a bag.  
     
     
         46 . The container of  claim 41 , wherein a portion of the header is used to support the container at a unique storage location.  
     
     
         47 . The container of  claim 43 , wherein the container is randomly stored within the automated vending device amongst a plurality of other like containers containing different pharmacy-filled prescriptions.  
     
     
         48 . The container of  claim 43 , wherein the information sensor is capable of moving to different information sensing locations.  
     
     
         49 . A container for storing a pharmacy-filled prescription in an automated vending apparatus comprising: 
 a receptacle having a plurality of sidewalls, the side walls configured to define a discrete space for storing a pharmacy-filled prescription;    a substantially rigid header coupled to at least one sidewall;    a barcode located on the header, and    wherein the barcode contains data correlating the pharmacist-filled prescription contained within the container to a consumer for whom the prescription was filled, the automated vending apparatus comprises a housing, an internal barcode reader, a plurality of unique storage locations, and at least one customer access point, the container being located at a unique storage location such that the header establishes a predetermined information reading position so that the barcode data may be scanned by the barcode reader.    
     
     
         50 . The container of  claim 49 , wherein the container is a bag.  
     
     
         51 . The container of  claim 49 , wherein the thickness of the header is substantially uniform.  
     
     
         52 . The container of  claim 49 , wherein the header is made from a material comprising a material selected from a group consisting of: a plastic material, a cardboard material, and a paper material.  
     
     
         53 . The container of  claim 52 , wherein the unique storage location comprises at least one notch and the header cooperates with the notch to substantially fix the sensible information tag at the information sensing location.  
     
     
         54 . The container of  claim 53 , wherein the container is randomly stored within the automated vending device amongst a plurality of other like containers containing different pharmacy-filled prescriptions.  
     
     
         55 . A method of using a container to deliver a prescription comprising: 
 placing a customer-specific prescription within the container, which comprises 
 a receptacle for storing a customer-specific prescription;  
 a header coupled to the receptacle; and  
 a sensible information tag located on the header and containing data correlating the customer-specific prescription contained within the container to a corresponding consumer for whom the prescription was filled; the header providing a substantially fixable surface, allowing said tag to be located in information-sensing alignment with an information sensor located within an automated vending device;  
   placing the container in a vending apparatus; and    delivering the container to the correct consumer.    
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the container is a bag.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the header is made from a material comprising a material selected from a group consisting of: a plastic material, a cardboard material, and a paper material.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the information tag is a barcode, and the information sensor is a barcode reader.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the vending apparatus comprises a housing, an internal barcode reader, a plurality of unique storage locations, and at least one customer access point, the container being locatable at a storage location, such that the header presents a substantially fixed information sensing location, allowing said information tag to be located in sensible alignment with an information sensor.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  wherein the vending apparatus includes at least one bin, and where a portion of the header is used to support the container within the bin.  
     
     
         61 . The container of  claim 59 , wherein the bin contains at least one notch, and the header cooperates with the notch to substantially fix the information tag at a particular location within the bin.  
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein a portion of the header is used to support the container within the storage location.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the container is randomly stored within the automated vending device amongst a plurality of other like containers containing different customer-specific prescriptions.  
     
     
         64 . The container of  claim 63 , wherein the information sensor is capable of moving to different information sensing locations.