Method and apparatus for dispensing items
US8798789B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 12, 2011 |
| Grant date | Aug 5, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 12, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06M7/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus for dispensing discrete items into a multiplicity of containers such that each of the multiplicity of containers contains at least a predetermined number of items, the apparatus comprising: a conveyor for transporting items from a feeder to a location from which the items fall into the container; a counting mechanism for counting a number of items that have fallen off the conveyor into the container during operation of the conveyor and due to inertial forces after the operation; an actuator for operating or stopping the conveyor in accordance with control commands; and a computing platform for receiving a count from the counting mechanism and generating the control commands to be provided to the actuator.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.