Functional trays for handling products in a materials handling facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227151-B2
Application number	US-201214432973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2012
Priority date	Oct 3, 2012
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A conveyor system is provided including a conveyor and a plurality of functional trays that are removably attachable to the conveyor. Each tray includes a plate having first and second dimensions that are orthogonal to each other, and the plate includes a coupler configured to be removably attached to the conveyor with the second dimension of the plate being in parallel with a moving direction of the conveyor. The plurality of functional trays include one or more of an envelope-opening mechanism, an item-pushing mechanism, an envelope-closing mechanism, an item-wrapping mechanism, and a tray-height-adjustment mechanism. For example, the item-pushing mechanism includes a pusher slidably coupled to the plate, and a linear actuator configured to move the pusher relative to the plate along the first dimension so as to push an item off the functional tray.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A functional tray to be removably attached to a conveyor, the functional tray comprising;
a plate having first and second dimensions that are orthogonal to each other, the plate including a coupler configured to be removably attached to a conveyor with the second dimension of the plate being in parallel with a moving direction of the conveyor;
a pair of arms extending along the first dimension and slidably coupled to the plate, the pair of arms including a first arm and a second arm overlaying the first arm;
a first linear actuator configured to move the pair of arms relative to the plate along the first dimension;
a second linear actuator configured to move the second arm relative to the first arm along a third dimension that is orthogonal to the plate;
a pusher slidably coupled to the plate; and
a third linear actuator configured to move the pusher relative to the plate along the first dimension.

2. The functional tray of claim 1 , further comprising:
two pairs of arms that includes the pair of arms and a second pair of arm, the second pair of arms extending along the first dimension and slidably coupled to the plate and including a third arm and a fourth arm overlaying the third arm;
wherein the first linear actuator is configured to move the two pairs of arms relative to the plate along the first dimension.

3. The functional tray of claim 2 , wherein the pusher is arranged between the two pairs of arms such that the pusher and the two pairs of arms define an item receptacle area.

4. The functional tray of claim 1 , wherein the coupler is selected from a group consisting of a latch system and a bolt system.

5. A conveyor system with multiple removable functional trays, the conveyor system comprising:
a conveyor; and
a plurality of functional trays each removably attachable to the conveyor, each of the plurality of trays comprising a plate having first and second dimensions that are orthogonal to each other, the plate including a coupler configured to be removably attached to the conveyor with the second dimension of the plate being in parallel with a moving direction of the conveyor;
the plurality of functional trays including one or more of an envelope-opening mechanism, an item-pushing mechanism, an envelope-closing mechanism, an item-wrapping mechanism, and a tray-height-adjustment mechanism, wherein the envelope-opening mechanism includes:
a pair of arms extending along the first dimension and slidably coupled to the plate, the pair of arms including a first arm and a second arm overlaying the first arm;
a first linear actuator configured to move the pair of arms relative to the plate along the first dimension; and
a second actuator configured to move the second arm relative to the first arm along a third dimension that is orthogonal to the plate.

6. The conveyor system of claim 5 , wherein the envelope-opening mechanism comprises:
an air conduit slidably coupled to the plate;
a linear actuator configured to move the air conduit relative to the plate along the first dimension; and
an air pump configured to deliver air through the air conduit.

7. The conveyor system of claim 5 , wherein the item-pushing mechanism comprises:
a pusher slidably coupled to the plate; and
a third linear actuator configured to move the pusher relative to the plate along the first dimension.

8. The conveyor system of claim 5 , wherein the envelope-closing mechanism comprises a bar pivotally coupled to the plate to be in an open position and in a closed position, the bar in the closed position lying substantially in parallel with the plate.

9. The conveyor system of claim 5 , wherein the item-wrapping mechanism comprises a shrink-wrapping mechanism.

10. The conveyor system of claim 5 , wherein the plate includes an upper plate and a lower plate, and the tray-height-adjustment mechanism comprises a linear actuator configured to move the upper and lower plates relative to each other along the third dimension that is orthogonal to the plate.

11. The conveyor system of claim 5 , wherein at least some of the plurality of functional trays include the item-pushing mechanism, and the conveyor system further includes a workstation arranged adjacent to the conveyor to receive items pushed by the item-pushing mechanism from some of the functional trays.

12. The conveyor system of claim 5 , further including a secondary conveyor arranged adjacent to the conveyor to receive items processed by the plurality of functional trays attached to the conveyor.

13. The conveyor system of claim 5 , wherein the envelope-opening mechanism comprises:
a pair of binders slidably coupled to the plate; and
a fourth linear actuator configured to move the pair of binders along the second dimension.

14. The conveyor system of claim 13 , wherein an area between the pair of binders defines an envelope receiving area.

15. The conveyor system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors coupled to the conveyor, the plurality of functional trays, and the memory, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the one or more processors to control operation of the conveyor and the plurality of functional trays attached to the conveyor.

16. The conveyor system of claim 15 , wherein at least some of the plurality of functional trays each include the envelope-opening mechanism and the item-pushing mechanism, and the memory comprises program instructions to control the envelope-opening mechanism to open an envelope on the functional tray, and to control the item-pushing mechanism to push an item into the opened envelope on the functional tray.

17. The conveyor system of claim 15 ,
wherein the program instructions control the envelope-opening mechanism to activate the first linear actuator to move the pair of arms to be inserted inside of an envelope on one of the functional trays and to activate the second linear actuator to move the pair of arms apart from each other to open the envelope.

18. The conveyor system of claim 15 , wherein the plate includes an upper plate and a lower plate, the tray-height-adjustment mechanism comprises a linear actuator configured to move the upper and lower plates relative to each other along the third dimension that is orthogonal to the plate, and
wherein the program instructions control the tray-height-adjustment mechanism to activate the linear actuator to modify a distance between the upper plate and the lower plate.

19. The conveyor system of claim 15 , wherein at least some of the plurality of functional trays each include the item-wrapping mechanism and the item-pushing mechanism, and the memory comprises program instructions to control the item-wrapping mechanism to shrink-wrap item(s) on the functional tray, and to control the item-pushing mechanism to push the shrink-wrapped item(s) off the functional tray.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kawano Yasushi
• Kano Toru

Classifications

• B65B35/205

  linked to endless conveyors · CPC title

• B65B5/045

  in bags · CPC title

• B65G17/12

  comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element · CPC title

• B65B57/00 Primary

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title

• B65B53/00

  Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging · CPC title