APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED DISPENSING OF INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED PRODUCTS

1 . A system for assembling and dispensing an order comprising a selection of individually packaged items selected from a plurality of different individually packaged items, the system comprising:

a storage module containing the plurality of different individually packaged items;

a conveyor comprising assigned spaces configured to receive the selection of individually packaged items associated with the order and adapted to transport the selection of individually packaged items;

a pick device movable to access said storage module and configured to retrieve individually packaged items from said storage module;

a transfer module for receiving the individually packaged items from said pick device that are associated with the selection of individually packaged items; and

an actuator associated with said transfer module and operative to move the selection of individually packaged items from said transfer module to said conveyor when said selectively assignable space associated with the order is in registration with said transfer module.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor provided proximate to the pick device to verify the picked individually packaged items.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said transfer module comprises a transfer nest associated with said pick device and movable with said pick device.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein said transfer nest moves from a first orientation wherein said transfer nest is configured to receive the individually packaged items from said pick device, to a second orientation wherein said transfer nest is configured to transfer the selection of individually packaged items to the conveyor.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein said pick device comprises:

a rotatable housing; and

at least one gripper operatively coupled to the housing and movable from a first position for engaging and picking an individually packaged item from said storage module, to at least a second position for transferring the individually packaged item to said transfer nest when said transfer nest is in said first orientation.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the transfer nest is configured to positively control movement of the individually packaged items received on said transfer nest.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the transfer nest comprises at least one slot shaped complementary to the shape of the individually packaged items such that the individually packaged items received on the transfer nest are constrained for movement only along a longitudinal axis of said slot.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transfer module is configured to positively control movement of the individually packaged items received on the transfer module.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the transfer module comprises at least one channel shaped complementary to the shape of the individually packaged items such that the individually packaged items received on the transfer module are constrained for movement only along a longitudinal axis of said channel.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor is configured to positively control movement of the individually packaged items received on the conveyor.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the conveyor comprises a plurality of channels, each channel shaped complementary to the shape of the individually packaged items such that the individually packaged items received on the conveyor are constrained for movement only along longitudinal axes of the respective channels.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the selectively assignable spaces of the conveyor comprise one or more of the conveyor channels.

13 . The system of claim 1 wherein the storage module further comprises:

a first and a second module each located proximate the conveyor;

wherein the first module is adapted to store products having a first frequency demand and the second module is adapted to store products having a second frequency demand different from the first frequency demand.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor and the transfer module are configured to receive a plurality of selections of individually packaged items.

15 . A method of filling an order that includes a selection of individually packaged items selected from a plurality of different individually packaged items, the method comprising:

assigning dedicated space on a conveyor for receiving the selection of individually packaged items for the order;

for each individually packaged item in the selection of individually packaged items:

picking an individually packaged item for the order from a storage location;

moving the individually packaged item to a transfer module;

moving the selection of individually packaged items from the transfer module to the dedicated space when the dedicated space is in registration with the transfer module; and

moving the conveyor to a processing location.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the transfer module comprises a transfer nest proximate a picker and a transfer station proximate the conveyor and the moving the selection of individually packaged items from the transfer module to the dedicated space comprising:

moving the transfer nest to registration with the transfer station; and

moving the selection of individually packaged items from the transfer nest to the transfer station.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

maintaining positive control of the packaged item between the storage location and the processing location.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising verifying the picked individually packaged items during moving the individually packaged items to the transfer module.