Feeder system for feeding items

{
  "publication_number": "US10380825B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Feeder system for feeding items",
  "abstract": "A feeder system for item feeding is presented. The feeder system may include a container having a plurality of walls, an actuator, a selector, and a chute. The container receives a plurality of items. An opening is formed in the container. The items flow through the opening towards the selector by a gravitational force. The selector singulates the plurality of items into one item. The chute receives the singulated item one at a time from the selector. The actuator is attached to the container and agitates the container to maintain a flow of the plurality of items passing through the opening.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A feeder system comprising: a container adapted to receive a plurality of items, the container comprising a plurality of walls that define a cavity of the container, the plurality of walls including a first wall having a flap formed by a cut of a portion of the first wall; an actuator attached to the first wall and to the flap outside of the cavity and configured to operate at a frequency; a selector that singulates the plurality of items into one item; and a chute adapted to receive the singulated item from the selector one at a time, wherein an opening is formed in the container, wherein the selector is adapted to receive the plurality of items from the container via the opening by a gravitational force, and wherein the actuator is adapted to agitate the container at the frequency via movements of the flap to maintain a flow rate of the plurality of items passing through the opening.",
    "2. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls comprises a dividing wall that divides the cavity into different regions.",
    "3. The feeder system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dividing wall extends from an edge of at least one of the plurality of walls downwardly inside the container with an angle respective to vertical.",
    "4. The feeder system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the dividing wall is secured at the edge of the at least one of the plurality of walls via a securing element.",
    "5. The feeder system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the opening is formed between a bottom edge of the dividing wall and a surface of at least one of the walls.",
    "6. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flap comprises a moving end side and a hinge end side.",
    "7. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cut is arranged below the opening.",
    "8. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cut is a U shape that forms the flap.",
    "9. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is attached to the flap via a bracket.",
    "10. The feeder system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bracket is mounted to the first wall on either side across the flap by a mounting element.",
    "11. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is solenoid driven.",
    "12. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plunger of the actuator is attached to the flap.",
    "13. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is adapted to move the flap acting as a hinge panel to maintain the flow rate of the plurality of items passing through the opening.",
    "14. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flap acts as a living hinge.",
    "15. The feeder system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of the items comprises a plurality of cuvettes.",
    "16. A container comprising: a plurality of walls defining a cavity to receive a plurality of items, the plurality of walls including a first wall having a flap formed by a cut of a portion of the first wall; an actuator attached to the first wall and to the flap outside of the cavity and configured to operate at a frequency; and a selector that singulates the plurality of items into one item, wherein an opening is formed in the container, wherein the selector is adapted to receive the plurality of items from the container via the opening by a gravitational force, and wherein the actuator is adapted to agitate the container at the frequency via movements of the flap to maintain a flow rate of the plurality of items passing through the opening.",
    "17. The container as claimed in claim 16, wherein the flap is formed below the opening.",
    "18. The container as claimed in claim 16, wherein the actuator is attached to the flap and moves the flap acting as a hinge panel to maintain the flow rate of the plurality of items passing through the opening.",
    "19. A method for feeding a plurality of items in a feeding system comprising: receiving the plurality of items into a cavity of a container, the container comprising a plurality of walls that define the cavity, the plurality of walls including a first wall having a flap formed by a cut of a portion of the first wall; agitating the container by an actuator attached to the first wall and to the flap outside of the cavity and configured to operate at a frequency via movements of the flap; singulating the plurality of items into one item by a selector that is oscillating; and feeding the singulated item from the selector to a chute one at a time, wherein an opening is formed in the container, wherein the selector receives the plurality of items from the container via the opening by a gravitational force, and wherein the actuator agitates the container at the frequency to maintain a flow rate of the items passing through the opening.",
    "20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the actuator moves the flap acting as a hinge panel to maintain the flow rate of the plurality of items passing through the opening further comprising cutting."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Aspects of the present invention relate to a feeder system.\n\nSmall parts feeders which deliver singulated parts from a bulk reservoir generally utilize gravity to feed parts. Such feeding often suffers from low throughput due to the parts settling into a relatively stable configuration, thus preventing parts flow. Some feeders use an agitation that is achieved by other means such as vibration of the entire container, e.g. a hopper, or feeding track (e.g., vibratory bowl feeders). Such a configuration may cause the container to be damaged easily. Some feeders use an actuator which penetrates the container and is not integral to the container itself (e.g., reciprocating-tube feeders, centerboard container feeders, etc.). Such a configuration may be difficult to implement or manufacture.\n\nGeoffry Boothroyd, “Assembly Automation and Product Design, Second Edition”, Taylor & Francis Group 2005, discloses such feeders. FIG. 1 discloses a vibration-bowl feeder. FIG. 2 discloses a centerboard container feeder.\n\nBriefly described, aspects of the present invention relate to a feeder system.\n\nAccording to an exemplary embodiment, a feeder system comprises a container, an actuator, a selector, and a chute. The container comprises a plurality of walls that defines a cavity of the container. The container is adapted to receive a plurality of items into the cavity. The actuator is carried by the container. The selector singulates the plurality of items into one item. An opening is formed in the container. The chute receives the singulated item one at a time from the selector.",
  "cpc": [
    "G07F 11/44",
    "B65D 88/66",
    "B65G 47/1407",
    "B65G 47/145",
    "B65G 65/40"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65D 88/66",
    "B65G 47/14",
    "G07F 11/44"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Gregory D. Ariff",
    "Donald R. Phillips"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-03-28",
  "publication_date": "2019-08-13",
  "grant_date": "2019-08-13",
  "priority_date": "2014-03-28",
  "application_number": "US-201414229056-A",
  "family_id": "52810959",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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  ]
}