Storage container for a storage and dispensing station

1. A method of dispensing small piece goods, the method comprising:

storing one or more small piece goods in a storage container for a storage and dispensing station, the storage container comprising:

a housing comprising a dispensing opening disposed in a housing bottom surface;

a separating device disposed in the housing, the separating device comprising a plurality of channels and a base area facing the housing bottom surface; and

a plurality of contact reducing members disposed on the separating device base area;

reducing, by the plurality of contact reducing members, a contact area between the separating device base area and the one or more small piece goods within the storage container;

rotating the separating device within the housing to situate a first channel above the dispensing opening, the first channel containing a first small piece good; and

dispensing the first small piece good through the dispensing opening.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reducing an electrostatic attraction between the one or more of the small piece goods and the separating device base area based on a size and shape of each of the plurality of contact reducing members.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of contact reducing members comprises a depression.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the depression is a coaxial groove.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the depression is a radial groove.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the radial groove is open to an outer circumference of the separating device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of contact reducing members comprises an elevation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of contact reducing members is disposed on an inner ring area of the separating device base area.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transferring, via a connector disposed below the dispensing opening of the housing, the dispensed first small piece good out of the storage container via gravitational force.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

disposing a retaining section of a retainer in an area above the dispensing opening; and

preventing, via the retaining section, additional small piece goods from entering the first channel containing the first small piece good.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels are disposed on an outer circumference of the separating device, the plurality of channels being defined by a plurality of webs.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the contact reducing members are disposed on a base area section of each of the plurality of webs.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

rotating the separating device via a coupler coupled to the bottom surface.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

reducing, by the plurality of contact reducing members, an electrostatic attraction of the one or more of the small piece goods into a gap between the separating device base area and the housing bottom surface.

15. A method of using a system for storage and dispensing of drug portions, the method comprising:

storing one or more drug portions in a plurality of storage containers coupled to a corresponding plurality of storage and dispensing stations, at least one storage container comprising:

a housing comprising a dispensing opening disposed in a housing bottom surface;

a separating device disposed in the housing, the separating device comprising a plurality of channels and a base area facing the housing bottom surface; and

a plurality of contact reducing members disposed on the separating device base area;

reducing, by the plurality of contact reducing members, a contact area between the separating device base area and the one or more drug portions within the at least one storage container;

rotating the separating device within the housing to situate a first channel above the dispensing opening, the first channel containing a first drug portion; and

dispensing the first drug portion through the dispensing opening.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

reducing an electrostatic attraction between the one or more of the drug portions and the separating device base area based on a size and shape of each of the plurality of contact reducing members of the at least one storage container.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein for the at least one storage container, at least one of the plurality of contact reducing members comprises one of a coaxial groove, a radial groove that is open to an outer circumference of the separating device and an elevation.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising for the at least one storage container:

rotating the separating device via a coupler coupled to the bottom surface; and

reducing, by the plurality of contact reducing members, an electrostatic attraction of the one or more of the drug portions into a gap between the separating device base area and the housing bottom surface.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising for the at least one storage container:

disposing a retaining section of a retainer in an area above the dispensing opening; and

preventing, via the retaining section, additional drug portions from entering the first channel containing the first drug portion.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

dispensing the first drug portion from a first storage container;

reducing, for the first storage container, an electrostatic attraction between the first drug portion and a first separating device base area based on a first plurality of contact reducing members;

dispensing a second drug portion from a second storage container;

reducing, for the second storage container, an electrostatic attraction between the second drug portion and a second separating device base area based on a second plurality of contact reducing members;

collecting, by a collecting device, the first and second drug portions; and

feeding, by the collecting device, the first and second drug portions to a packaging device.