US Patent 8706294 Multi-lidded dispensing cartridge system

A dispensing system has a cartridge with a body having a plurality of bins and a plurality of attached lids that cover the respective bins when the lids are closed. The body has an external connector and the lids are opened by receipt of a command signal through the connector. The system also includes a cabinet with a docking location configured to accept a cartridge. The cabinet has a docking connector that connects to the cartridge connector when the cartridge is placed on the docking location. The cabinet also has a controller that sends the command signal through the docking connector to the cartridge to open one or more of the lids.