Systems and methods for a unit-of-use wrap seal packing station
View Patent ↗A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.
1. A system comprising:
a staging area including:
a plurality of staging bins, and
a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins,
wherein a staging bin of the plurality of staging bins includes a component retention element to selectively retain a component of an order therein, and configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle;
a packing area including:
a slide,
a scanner, and
a wrap seal conveyor; and
an exception zone;
wherein the shuttle is configured to release the component onto the slide,
wherein the scanner is operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor and to scan and identify the component as an exception for placement in the exception zone.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle is moveable beneath the plurality of staging bins and to the exception zone.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the exception zone includes a tote accessible by the shuttle to deliver an exception component to the tote.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the shuttle is moveable along a track, and wherein the track is at least one of extending beneath the plurality of staging bins, extending below a plurality of doors of the plurality of staging bins, and extending proximate the plurality of staging bins.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the component retention element includes a selectively openable door, and wherein the shuttle is positionable proximate the door in the staging bin to receive the component of the order from the staging bin.
6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a staging conveyor leading to the staging bin;
a holding bin associated with the staging conveyor; and
a feed conveyor for transporting the components of the order to the holding bin.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the wrap seal conveyor includes a plurality of wrap seal pockets, and wherein the plurality of wrap seal pockets are configured to receive the component of the order for sealing and shipping.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of wrap seal pockets are at least one of pre-formed flexible mailer bags and portions of flexible mailer bags.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle includes a control module configured to:
instruct the shuttle to move beneath a selected staging bin; and
instruct the shuttle to move to the slide and release the component of the order onto the slide.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle includes a selectively openable door for releasing the component of the order onto the slide.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle is configured to move to a position adjacent a next staging bin to receive a next order and receive a component of the next order while a current order is being verified, wherein the shuttle is further configured to deliver the next order to the slide, and wherein the shuttle is configured to receive the exception and deliver to the exception zone before retrieving a further order.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the component includes a quantity of a prescription drug contained within a pill bottle.
13. A method for use in order fulfillment using at least one container that makes up an order, a shuttle, a plurality of staging bins, and a slide, the method comprising:
staging the at least one container in the shuttle while a preceding order is being fulfilled;
instructing the shuttle to move beneath a selected staging bin to receive the at least one container of the order; and
instructing the shuttle to move to the slide and release the order of the at least one container onto the slide; and
determining whether the at least one container is a correct container for the order;
when the at least one container is not a correct container for the order, returning the at least one container to the shuttle and delivering the at least one container to an exception zone; and
when the at least one container is the correct container for the order, delivering the at least one container to a shipping conveyor.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein returning the at least one container to the shuttle and delivering the at least one container to an exception zone includes moving the shuttle linearly along a track extending below the shuttle bins and to a tote of the exception zone.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein moving the shuttle includes moving to the tote at one end of the track and wherein delivering the at least one container to an exception zone includes opening a door on the shuttle to drop the at least one container into the tote.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising communicating with a scanner to receive a result of a scan of the at least one container; and determining whether an exception has occurred.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising instructing a wrap seal conveyor to advance when no exceptions have occurred.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating at least one of a visual alert and an auditory alert in response to determining an exception has occurred.
19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining an exception has occurred when the at least one container is determined to not belong in the order.
20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining an exception has occurred when the at least one container which should be present for a given order is not scanned.