The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 15, 2014
Filed:
Oct. 05, 2012
Parata Systems, Inc., Durham, NC (US);
Bryan Patrick Farnsworth, Wake Forest, NC (US);
Christopher Todd Hilliard, Bath, NC (US);
Jason Cora, Raleigh, NC (US);
Andrew Kirk Dummer, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
David J. Parrish, Youngsville, NC (US);
Dennis Vaders, Elkin, NC (US);
Jennifer Ann Mauger, Durham, NC (US);
Parata Systems, LLC, Durham, NC (US);
Abstract
A passive chute assembly includes: a chute configured to receive objects to be dispensed, the chute having an outlet; and a passive dispensing unit attached to the chute outlet. The passive dispensing unit has a staging portion, wherein objects are captured prior to dispensing. The staging portion is movable between a staging position, in which objects may be captured within the staging portion, and a dispensing position, in which the objects may be fed gravimetrically into a receptacle positioned below the dispensing unit. The staging portion includes an adaptive opening that, when the staging portion moves to the dispensing position, opens adaptively corresponding to a diameter of the receptacle.