IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0012721
(2011-01-24)
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등록번호 |
US-8457784
(2013-06-04)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Rahilly, Michael
- Weber, Frank Dean
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
13 인용 특허 :
9 |
초록
▼
A container for use in a dispensing system is disclosed. The container comprises a body, a linkage element movably attached to the body, a control module, and an actuator comprising a memory wire having a length and a terminator that is attached to the memory wire. The linkage element has a first po
A container for use in a dispensing system is disclosed. The container comprises a body, a linkage element movably attached to the body, a control module, and an actuator comprising a memory wire having a length and a terminator that is attached to the memory wire. The linkage element has a first position and a second position, and the actuator is mechanically coupled to the linkage element. The control module is attached to the body and comprises a contact element. The terminator is attached to the body and electrically coupled to the contact element, wherein the electrical coupling between the memory wire and the contact element is mechanically compliant such that the position of the terminator relative to the body is invariant when the position of the control module relative to the body varies.
대표청구항
▼
1. A container, comprising: a body;a linkage element movably attached to the body, the linkage element having a first position and a second position;a control module comprising a contact element, the control module attached to the body; andan actuator comprising a memory wire having a length and a t
1. A container, comprising: a body;a linkage element movably attached to the body, the linkage element having a first position and a second position;a control module comprising a contact element, the control module attached to the body; andan actuator comprising a memory wire having a length and a terminator that is attached to the memory wire, the actuator mechanically coupled to the linkage element, wherein the terminator is attached to the body and comprises a conductive elastic element that is electrically coupled between the memory wire and the contact element, wherein the electrical coupling between the memory wire and the contact element is mechanically compliant such that the position of the terminator relative to the body is invariant when the position of the control module relative to the body varies. 2. The container of claim 1 wherein the actuator is configured such that a decrease in the length of the memory wire causes the linkage element to move from the first position to the second position. 3. The container of claim 1 wherein the terminator of the actuator is directly and fixedly attached to the body of the container. 4. The container of claim 1 wherein the end of the memory wire extends beyond the terminator and is electrically bonded to the contact element. 5. The container of claim 1 wherein the conductive elastic element is deformed by the contact element such that there is a contact force between the conductive elastic element and the contact element. 6. The container of claim 5 wherein: the control module is a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA);the contact element is an electrical contact pad on the PCBA; andthe PCBA is configured such that the PCBA compresses a portion of the conductive elastic element when the PCBA is attached to the body. 7. The container of claim 1 wherein: the body has an interior volume with an opening;the container further comprises a lid movably attached to the body, the lid having an attached fastening element; the lid configured to cover the opening; andthe linkage element is configured to engage the fastening element of the lid when in the first position and to release the fastening element when in the second position. 8. The container of claim 7 wherein the container comprises a plurality of interior volumes, a plurality of lids, a plurality of linkage elements, and a plurality of actuators, and wherein each interior volume has a respective lid. 9. A container, comprising: a body;a linkage element rotatably attached to the body, the linkage element having a first position and a second position;a sliding element slidably attached to the body along an axis fixed relative to the body, the sliding element coupled to the linkage element; andan actuator comprising a memory wire having a length and a terminator attached to the wire, the actuator mechanically coupled to the sliding element, the terminator attached to the body and comprising a conductive elastic element that is electrically coupled between the memory wire and the contact element, wherein the memory wire is substantially parallel to the axis of motion of the sliding element, and wherein a reduction in the length of the memory wire will cause the linkage element to move from the first position to the second position. 10. The container of claim 9, wherein: the actuator comprises two terminators attached at opposite ends of the memory wire;the two terminators are attached to the body adjacent to each other and on a second axis perpendicular to the axis of the sliding element; andthe memory wire extends from one terminator to the sliding element, around a portion of the sliding element, and returns to the other terminator such that the portions of the memory wire between each terminator and the sliding element are substantially parallel to the axis of motion of the sliding element. 11. The container of claim 9 wherein: the body has an interior volume with an opening;the container further comprises a lid movably attached to the body, the lid having an attached fastening element; the lid configured to cover the opening; andthe linkage element is configured to engage the fastening element of the lid when in the first position and to release the fastening element when in the second position. 12. The container of claim 11 wherein the container comprises a plurality of interior volumes, a plurality of lids, a plurality of linkage elements, and a plurality of actuators, and wherein each interior volume has a respective lid. 13. The container of claim 9 wherein the terminator of the actuator is directly and fixedly attached to the body of the container. 14. An automated dispensing machine (ADM) comprising: a container comprising: a body;a linkage element movably attached to the body, the linkage element having a first position and a second position;a control module comprising a connector and a contact element, the control module attached to the body; andan actuator comprising a memory wire having a length and a terminator that is attached to the memory wire, the actuator mechanically coupled to the linkage element, wherein the terminator is attached to the body and comprises a conductive elastic element that is electrically coupled between the memory wire and the contact element, wherein the electrical coupling between the memory wire and the contact element is mechanically compliant such that motion of the control module does not cause motion of the terminator, and wherein the actuator is configured such that a reduction in the length of the memory wire will cause the linkage element to move from the first position to the second position;wherein the control module is configured to accept a control signal through the connector and cause the linkage element to move to the second position in response to the control signal;a dispensing machine housing;a drawer mounted within the dispensing machine housing, the drawer configured to receive the container, the drawer comprising a docking connector that mates to the connector of the container when the container is received in the drawer assembly, anda processor coupled to the docking connector, the processor configured to transmit the control signal to the container via the docking connector. 15. The ADM of claim 14 wherein the terminator of the actuator is directly and fixedly attached to the body of the container. 16. The ADM of claim 14 wherein: the body of the container comprises an interior volume with an opening;the container further comprises a lid movably attached to the body, the lid having an attached fastening element; the lid configured to cover the opening; andthe linkage element is configured to engage the fastening element of the lid when in the first position and to release the fastening element when in the second position. 17. The ADM of claim 16 wherein the container further comprises a plurality of interior volumes, a plurality of lids, a plurality of linkage elements, and a plurality of actuators, and wherein each interior volume has a respective lid. 18. A method of dispensing items, the method comprising the steps of: loading at least one item into a container comprising a body having an internal volume with an opening and a lid that is moveably attached to the body and releasably secured over the opening by a linkage element coupled to an actuator that comprises a memory wire and a terminator, wherein the terminator is directly and fixedly attached to the body and comprises a conductive elastic element that is electrically coupled between the memory wire and the contact element, wherein the electrical coupling between the memory wire and the contact element is mechanically compliant such that the position of the terminator relative to the body is invariant when the position of the control module relative to the body varies;receiving the container into a drawer of an automatic dispensing machine (ADM);requesting the item to be accessed from the ADM;transmitting a signal to open the lid from the ADM to the container; andopening the lid of the container that contains the item. 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of: energizing the memory wire of the actuator, wherein the actuator is coupled to the linkage element, thereby causing the memory wire to shorten and apply a force to the linkage element, thereby causing the linkage element to move from a first position to a second position, wherein the linkage element in the first position secures the lid and in the second position releases the lid;releasing the lid thereby allowing the lid to be opened; andde-energizing the memory wire.
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