Slat filler and the method of using thereof

Abstract

A method of filling a plurality of containers with a plurality of articles using an automated slat filling system comprising the steps of a) disposing the plurality of articles, b) indexing one of the plurality of slats, c) inspecting an image of the one of the plurality of slats, d) determining whether the one of the plurality of slats is a bad slat, e) directing the plurality of articles on the bad slat to a rejection repository, f) directing the plurality of articles to the plurality of containers, g) determining whether the plurality of slats meets a predetermined number of the plurality of slats, h) completing the plurality of containers with the plurality of articles.

What claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of filling a plurality of containers with a plurality of articles using an automated slat filling system, comprising the steps of:
 a) disposing the plurality of articles to a plurality of cavities formed on a plurality of slats;   b) indexing one of the plurality of slats;   c) inspecting an image of the one of the plurality of slats taken by a camera of a vision inspection device of the automated slat filling system;   d) determining whether the one of the plurality of slats is a bad slat, wherein the bad slat is one of the plurality of slats with the plurality of articles not meeting a predetermined criterion;   e) directing the plurality of articles on the bad slat to a rejection repository when the bad slat is identified;   f) directing the plurality of articles to the plurality of containers when the bad slat is not identified;   g) determining whether the plurality of slats meets a predetermined number of the plurality of slats of the plurality of slats for the plurality of containers; and   h) completing the plurality of containers with the plurality of articles meeting the predetermined criterion without a need to reject one or more of the plurality of containers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of setting up a plurality of areas on a graphic user interface to mask a field of view of the camera, wherein the image within the plurality of areas are to be excluded from an inspection by the vision inspection device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein none of the plurality of containers is rejected. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of controlling a plurality of gates by a position control device; and
 directing the plurality of articles to the rejection repository or to the plurality of containers by adjusting the plurality of gates.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , the position control device is selected from the group consisting of stepper motors, direct current motors, linear motors, or actuators. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vision inspection device is configured to process up to 7 of the image of the one of the plurality of slats in in about 130 milliseconds.