Customer specific packaging line

Abstract

An automated packaging line has capability of filling large and small orders, of one or more bottles, each bottle filled with a respective one of a plurality of different pharmaceutical tablets, in a single run. Structure is provided for filling orders for an individual consumer, for a pharmacist, and for a wholesaler, simultaneously, using differently sized bottles, and providing customized labels for each bottle. A flexible filler station simultaneously fills plural bottles with respective tablets. An intelligent data carrying puck carries each bottle, including therein information describing, among others, the bottle, the customer, the order, the pharmaceutical, the bottle size and label information. Puck handling stations (PHS) are dispersed throughout the line, to verify a number of operations implemented on the line and to reject a puck at the earliest opportunity, while permitting subsequent rejection by a subsequent PHS. The PHS units are substantially identical, with DIP switch modifying operation of the controlling software thereof to implement different features at different points on the line. The pucks are recycled after each pass along the line. An initializing PHS wipes clean the puck data storage and, in a fail safe operation, marks it as a reject. The flexible filler station must mark the puck acceptable. Each subsequent PHS, following the flexible filler station, following a capper and following a label printer, may reject the puck if marked as a reject or if failing to meet various criteria.

1 . In an automated container filling system, including a container input station and a container filling station, the improvement comprising: 
 fill control means for controlling the container filling station to fill any of a plurality of containers with any of a plurality of medications, and    a plurality of tag means each capable of containing medication order information,    a respective one of said tag means associated with each respective container for conveying respective order information for the respective container to said fill control means,    said fill control means operating in response to said respective order information from said respective tag means by controlling the container filling station to fill the respective container associated with said respective tag means with a respective medication prescribed in the respective order.    
     
     
         2 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 system data transmitting means for communicating respective order data to each said respective tag means and    system data reading means for reading said respective order data from one of said tag means,    wherein each said tag means comprises: 
 data storage means for storing respective order data from said system data transmitting means;  
 tag data receiving means for receiving said respective order data from said data communication means and  
 tag data transmitting means for transmitting said respective order data from said data storage means of said tag means to said system data reading means.  
   
     
     
         3 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each said tag means comprises data storage means for storing respective order data, and 
 container retaining means for retaining a container respectively corresponding to said respective order data stored in said data storage means, and for transporting the container to and from the container filling station.    
     
     
         4 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of containers include containers having a plurality of different sizes, and 
 said plurality of tag means include a plurality of different container retaining means respectively corresponding to the different sizes of the plurality of containers,    each said different container retaining means configured for positioning the respectively corresponding container retained thereby at a predetermined distance from a filler nozzle of the container filling station,    said different container retaining means including structure for causing the predetermined distance to be substantially identical for each differently sized container, thereby to enable a single container filling station to fill a plurality of differently sized containers.    
     
     
         5 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein each said tag means comprises first and second portions, 
 said first portion including said data storage means and    said second portion connected thereto including a respective one of said different container retaining means.    
     
     
         6 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each said tag means comprises first and second portions connected to each other, 
 said first portion including data storage means for storing said respective order information for the respective container, and    said second portion including a container retaining means for retaining the respective container and for transporting the respective container to and from the container filling station.    
     
     
         7 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said first and second portions of each said tag means are releasably connected to each other.  
     
     
         8 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of tag handling stations for verifying operations implemented by the system and to reject a tag at an earliest opportunity,    
     
     
         9 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said plurality of tag handling stations are each substantially identically programmed, and include customizing means for modifying operation under a program to implement selectable functions.  
     
     
         10 . An automated container filing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each said tag means comprises data storage means for storing said respective order information for the respective container, and a container retaining means for retaining the respective container and for transporting the respective container, 
 further comprising routing means for routing a tag means and the respective container retained thereby in accordance with information stored in said data storage means.    
     
     
         11 . An automated container filing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each said tag means comprises data storage means for storing said respective order information for the respective container, 
 further comprising routing means for routing a filled container in accordance with information stored in said data storage means.    
     
     
         12 . In an automated container filling system, including a container input station and a container filling station, the improvement comprising: 
 fill control means for controlling the container filling station to fill any of a plurality of containers with any of a plurality of medications, and    a plurality of tag means each containing container specific information,    a respective one of said tag means associated with each respective container for conveying said container specific information to said fill control means,    said fill control means operating in response to said container specific information from said respective tag means by controlling the container filling station to fill the respective container associated with said respective tag means with a respective one of said plurality of medications in accordance with a respective order corresponding to said container specific information.    
     
     
         13 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein each said tag means comprises data storage means for storing data corresponding to said container specific information; and 
 container retaining means for retaining a respective container corresponding to said data stored in said data storage means, and for transporting the container to and from the container filling station.    
     
     
         14 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of tag handling stations for verifying operations implemented by the system and for rejecting a tag at an earliest opportunity,    said tag handling stations include a post-filling station handling station for matching said container specific information with said respective order and for rejecting the tag and container associated therewith upon a mismatch.    
     
     
         15 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising capping means for capping a container associated with a respective tag means, and wherein: 
 said tag handling stations include a post-capping handling station for matching said respective order with said container specific data and for rejecting the tag and container associated therewith upon a mismatch.    
     
     
         16 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said capping means comprises a plurality of capping stations, and wherein said post-filling station handling station further comprises diverting means for diverting respective tags and associated containers to respective ones of said capping stations in accordance with said data from said data storage means thereof.  
     
     
         17 . An automated container filling system as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising labeling means for individually labeling a respective container associated with a respective tag means in accordance with said respective order and wherein: 
 said tag handling stations include a post-labeling handling station for: 
 matching a label produced by said labeling means for said respective container with said respective order and with said identifying data, and  
 for rejecting the respective tag and respective container associated therewith upon any mismatch.  
   
     
     
         18 . An automated container filing system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein each said tag means comprises data storage means for storing data representing said container specific information, and a container retaining means for retaining the respective container and for transporting the respective container, 
 further comprising routing means for routing a tag means and the respective container retained thereby based on information generated in accordance with said data stored in said data storage means.    
     
     
         19 . A method of operating a packaging line for mass production of packaged containers to implement an automated packaging-to-shipping system, comprising the steps of: 
 in a single run, automatically packaging different orders for different quantities of different products in containers, and    automatically labeling individual containers to identify quantity and product packaged therein,    thereby providing individual orders for shipping to individual customers.    
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said step of automatically packaging comprises receiving bulk quantities of different products, containers, and container closures, and providing a plurality of different closed containers respectively having said different quantities of different product therein.  
     
     
         21 . A method in as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said labelling step comprises: 
 printing a respective individual label for each respective container to identify the respective quantity and respective type of product packaged therein, and    applying the individual label to the respective individual container corresponding thereto.    
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said printing step further comprises printing information on each respective individual label identifying a respective customer for each respective order.