Reusable apparatus and method for article capturing, storing and dispensing

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for article introduction, storage and dispensing from a reusable container in an efficient and high throughput manner are provided. The apparatus for storing and recovering content therefrom includes a plurality of arranged cells having a content ingress-egress point. The content ingress-egress point is pierceable to introduce content into the cell, self-closing and resealing to capture and seal content within the cell, and rupturable to discharge and recover content from the cell. Methods include piercing, capturing and discharging articles by providing a plurality of arranged cells having at least one article ingress-egress point, piercing the article ingress-egress point to introduce articles into the cell where the article ingress-egress point is adapted to self-close and self-seal to capture articles within the cell, and rupturing the article ingress-egress point to discharge and recover articles from the cell.

1 . An apparatus for storing and recovering content therefrom comprising:
 a plurality of arranged cells having a content ingress-egress point; and   said content ingress-egress point being:
 a. pierceable to introduce content into said cell, 
 b. self-closing, 
 c. self-sealing to capture and seal content within said cell, and 
 d. rupturable to discharge and recover content from said cell. 
   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said content ingress-egress point comprises:
 a. a defined point of failure;   b. one or more abutting surfaces;   c. a flap;   d. one or more sealing members biased to a closed position by material memory;   e. a gate;   f. a lid;   g. an aperture;   h. a crack;   i. a duct;   j. a hole;   k. an opening;   l. an orifice;   m. a porthole;   n. a release;   o. a tear;   p. a vent; or   q. a cover seal.   
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein one surface of each cell has a first ingress-egress point and a surface opposite said one surface has a second ingress-egress point. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said first and said second ingress-egress points being pierceable to store and seal content within said cell or rupturable to discharge and recover said content from said cell. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said cell has:
 a. a conical shape;   b. a round shape;   c. a pyramidal shape;   d. a planar shape;   e. a square shape; or   f. a non-planar shape.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said content ingress-egress point has one or more of the following features:
 a. openable and recloseable;   b. reusable;   c. resealable;   d. rupturable and re-rupturable;   e. leak proof;   f. pierceable and re-pierceable;   g. flexible;   h. self-sealing; or   i. self-closing.   
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein contents storable in said apparatus include one of:
 a. a particle;   b. an article;   c. a seed;   d. a part;   e. an ingredient;   f. a compound;   g. a liquid; or   h. a medicine.   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said cells are arranged to form:
 a. a tray;   b. a strip;   c. a series of cells;   d. a grouping;   e. a container;   f. a sheet;   g. a tape;   h. a roll; or   i. a spiral.   
   
   
       9 . An apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of arranged self-closing and sealing cells adapted to capture and seal an article therein;   each cell having one or more surfaces with an article ingress-egress point; and   said article ingress-egress point being moveable:
 a. from a sealed position to a pierced position to introduce article into said cell; or 
 b. from a sealed position to a ruptured position to discharge and recover article from said cell. 
   
   
   
       10 . The reusable tray of  claim 9  wherein said article ingress-egress point comprises an opening closed off in said sealed position by one or more abutting edges formed in said surface. 
   
   
       11 . The reusable tray of  claim 10  wherein said abutting edges are further defined by:
 a. a defined point of failure;   b. one or more segments of said surface; or   c. one or more sealing members biased to said sealed position by material memory.   
   
   
       12 . The reusable tray of  claim 9  wherein each cell includes a pair of opposite surfaces each having one of said article ingress-egress points, each article ingress-egress point being pierceable to introduce said article into said cell, self-closing and resealing to capture and seal article within said cell, and rupturable to discharge and recover article from said cell. 
   
   
       13 . The reusable tray of  claim 9  wherein movement of said article ingress-egress point from said sealed position to said pierced or ruptured positions is nondestructive to said tray and cell. 
   
   
       14 . An apparatus for inserting, capturing, storing and dispensing singulated articles or groups of articles, said apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of sealed arranged cells;   each cell having at least one article ingress-egress point; and   said article ingress-egress point formed by one or more surfaces having one or more abutting edges adapted to open to nondestructively pass said article therethrough for article passage into and out of said cell and reseal to capture article within said cell.   
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said abutting edges are formed by:
 a. a plurality of radially extending slits extending partially, almost entirely, or completely through said surface;   b. a single slit extending partially, almost entirely, or completely through said surface; or   c. an expandable porthole extending partially, almost entirely, or completely through said surface.   
   
   
       16 . A method for piercing, capturing and discharging articles comprising:
 providing a plurality of arranged cells having at least one article ingress-egress point;   piercing said article ingress-egress point to introduce article into said cell, said article ingress-egress point adapted to self-close and self-seal to capture article within said cell; and   rupturing said article ingress-egress point to discharge and recover article from said cell.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of configuring said article ingress-egress points as:
 a. a defined point of failure;   b. one or more abutting surfaces;   c. a flap;   d. one or more sealing members biased to a closed position by material memory;   e. a gate;   f. a lid;   g. an aperture;   h. a crack;   i. a duct;   j. a hole;   k. an opening;   l. an orifice;   m. a porthole;   n. a release;   o. a tear;   p. a vent; or   q. a cover seal.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of configuring one surface with a first ingress-egress point and a surface opposite said one surface with a second ingress-egress point. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the step of piercing or rupturing said first or second ingress-egress point to store and seal article within said cell or discharge and recover said article from said cell. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of dispensing article from said article ingress-egress point by:
 a. a mechanical force;   b. a pneumatic force;   c. a hydrostatic force;   d. a compressive force;   e. a tensile force; or   f. a torsional force.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said article ingress-egress point has one or more of the following features:
 a. openable and recloseable;   b. reusable;   c. resealable;   d. rupturable and re-rupturable;   e. leak proof;   f. pierceable or re-pierceable;   g. flexible;   h. self-sealing; or   i. self-closing.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of housing or grouping in said cell one or more articles comprising:
 a. a particle;   b. a seed;   c. a part;   d. an ingredient;   e. a compound;   f. a liquid; or   g. a medicine.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of arranging said cells to form:
 a. a tray;   b. a strip;   c. a series of cells;   d. a grouping;   e. a container;   f. a sheet;   g. a tape;   h. a roll; or   i. a spiral.   
   
   
       24 . A method for piercing, capturing and discharging singulated or grouped articles from a plurality of sealed cells, the method comprising:
 providing at least one article ingress-egress point on said cell;   forming said article ingress-egress point with one or more abutting edges on one or more surfaces of said cell; and   nondestructively piercing or rupturing said article ingress-egress point to pass articles in and out of said cell.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of biasing said abutting edges to a closed position to self-close and self-seal said article ingress-egress point to capture articles within said cell. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of forming said article ingress-egress point with a plurality of radially extending slits through said surface to pass articles therethrough. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of forming a first article ingress-egress point on one surface and a second article ingress-egress point on a surface opposite said one surface. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising the step of dispensing article through said second article ingress-egress point by introducing a removing means through said first article ingress-egress point. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said removing means includes:
 a. a mechanical force;   b. a pneumatic force;   c. a hydrostatic force;   d. a compressive force;   e. a tensile force; or   f. a torsional force.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of reusing said cell multiple times by piercing, capturing and discharging subsequent articles from previously used cells.