Methods and apparatus for dispensing solid articles

1. An apparatus for dispensing solid articles, the apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a hopper chamber to hold the articles and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet defining a dispensing flow path therebetween; and

at least one vacuum source adapted to provide a vacuum pressure and induce a gas flow in the housing;

wherein the apparatus is configured to generate a forward drive gas flow from the vacuum pressure and induced gas flow, and the forward drive gas flow conveys articles through the dispensing channel along the dispensing flow path in a direction from the inlet to the outlet to dispense the articles;

wherein the apparatus is configured to generate an agitation gas flow from the vacuum pressure and induced gas flow, wherein the agitation gas flow agitates articles in the hopper chamber;

wherein the apparatus is configured to generate the agitation gas flow and the forward drive gas flow simultaneously using vacuum pressure and induced gas flow from the same vacuum source via a common exit port of the housing; and

wherein the apparatus is configured such that a portion of the agitation gas flow does not pass through the dispensing channel and flows to the vacuum source as an agitation return flow through the common exit port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one vacuum source is adapted to induce ambient air to flow into and through the housing as the forward drive gas flow and the agitation gas flow.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including an expansion region downstream of the outlet along the dispensing flow path, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the forward drive gas flow conveys the articles through the dispensing channel and into the expansion region where a velocity of the forward drive gas flow is reduced and the articles decouple from the forward drive gas flow to be dispensed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further configured to generate a reverse drive gas flow from the vacuum pressure and induced gas flow, wherein the reverse drive gas flow conveys articles through the dispensing channel along the dispensing flow path in a direction from the outlet to the inlet to return the articles to the hopper chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including a sensor disposed along the dispensing flow path to detect articles passing along the dispensing flow path.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is unitary and forms a part of a unitary dispensing bin, and the hopper chamber and the dispensing channel are each integrally defined in the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the apparatus further includes a vacuum manifold fluidly connected to the vacuum source, the vacuum manifold including a manifold inlet;

the housing includes a vacuum port fluidly connected to the dispensing channel; and

the bin is removably and replaceably mounted on the manifold such that the vacuum port is sealingly mated with the manifold inlet to fluidly connect the dispensing channel with the vacuum source through the manifold.

8. A method for dispensing solid articles, the method comprising:

providing an apparatus including:

a housing defining a hopper chamber to hold the articles and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet defining a dispensing flow path therebetween; and

at least one vacuum source;

using the vacuum source, providing a vacuum pressure and inducing a gas flow in the housing;

generating a forward drive gas flow from the vacuum pressure and induced gas flow such that the forward drive gas flow conveys articles through the dispensing channel along the dispensing flow path in a direction from the inlet to the outlet to dispense the articles; and

generating an agitation gas flow from the vacuum pressure and induced gas flow such that the agitation gas flow agitates articles in the hopper chamber, including simultaneously generating the agitation gas flow and the forward drive gas flow using the vacuum pressure and the induced gas flow from the same vacuum source;

wherein the apparatus is configured such that a portion of the agitation gas flow does not pass through the dispensing channel and flows to the vacuum source as an agitation return flow through a common exit port.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one vacuum source induces ambient air to flow into and through the housing as the forward drive gas flow and the agitation gas flow.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the apparatus includes an expansion region downstream of the outlet along the dispensing flow path, and including, using the forward drive gas flow, conveying the articles through the dispensing channel and into the expansion region where the velocity of the forward drive gas flow is reduced and the articles decouple from the forward drive gas flow to be dispensed.

11. The method of claim 8 further including generating a reverse drive gas flow from the vacuum pressure and induced gas flow such that the reverse drive gas flow conveys articles through the dispensing channel along the dispensing flow path in a direction from the outlet to the inlet to return the articles to the hopper chamber.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the apparatus includes a sensor disposed along the dispensing flow path to detect articles passing along the dispensing flow path.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the articles are pharmaceutical articles.