Crossbar mechanism for coupling to fixture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10746589-B1
Application number	US-201715629578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

Shelves or other fixtures may be used to support items at a facility. Weighing modules including load cells may be used at the fixtures to acquire weight data indicative of changes to the fixture as items are added or removed from the fixture. Weighing modules may be modular and repositionable with respect to a modular crossbar that provides electrical power and data connectivity. This allows for the fixtures to be easily reconfigured to accommodate items of different sizes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a fixture comprising:
a crossbar having a left bracket attached to a left end of the crossbar and a right bracket attached to a right end of the crossbar, wherein the left bracket includes a first hook and the right bracket includes a second hook;
the crossbar comprising:
a crossbar front member comprising a first rear wall, a first upper wall, and a first front wall, the walls arranged to produce a concave region; and
a crossbar back member mounted to the first rear wall, the crossbar back member comprising:
a plurality of engagement slots, each engagement slot having a long axis that is perpendicular to a long axis of the crossbar; and
a plurality of linear electrical contacts, each linear electrical contact having a long axis that is parallel to the long axis of the crossbar; and

a weighing module engaged to the crossbar via one of the engagement slots.

2. The system of claim 1 , the weighing module further comprising:
an engagement rail configured to mate with the one of the engagement slots of the crossbar;
a weighing module connector configured to establish electrical contact with one or more of the plurality of linear electrical contacts;
a load cell; and
electronics connected to the load cell and the weighing module connector, the electronics configured to generate load cell data and send the load cell data to the weighing module connector.

3. The system of claim 1 , each of the plurality of engagement slots comprising:
a rectangular cross section perpendicular to the long axis of the engagement slot;
an entry of the engagement slot comprising a widened top portion of the engagement slot that narrows to the rectangular cross section; and
a stop feature that blocks a bottom end of the engagement slot.

4. A device comprising:
a left bracket;
a right bracket;
a front bracket extending from the left bracket to the right bracket along a front of the device;
a crossbar having a first end attached to the left bracket and a second end attached to the right bracket, the crossbar comprising:
a plurality of crossbar engagement features arranged along at least a portion of a long axis of the crossbar; and
a plurality of electrical contacts extending from proximate to the first end to proximate to the second end of the crossbar.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts, during operation, transfer a voltage of less than 60 volts.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of crossbar engagement features are arranged along a back wall of the crossbar, each crossbar engagement feature comprising an engagement slot having a slot long axis that is perpendicular to the long axis of the crossbar.

7. The device of claim 6 , one or more of the plurality of crossbar engagement features comprising:
a rectangular cross section perpendicular to the long axis of the engagement slot;
a top portion of the engagement slot that is wider than a bottom portion; and
an obstruction at a bottom end of the engagement slot.

8. The device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of crossbar engagement features are arranged along an upper surface of the crossbar and a front surface of the crossbar is planar.

9. The device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of crossbar engagement features comprise one or more of slots, recesses, tabs, or rails.

10. The device of claim 4 , wherein a front side of the cross bar is taller than a back side of the crossbar.

11. The device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of engagement features are arranged above the plurality of electrical contacts.

12. The device of claim 4 , the crossbar further comprising:
a channel extending from the first end to the second end, the channel having a first side, a bottom, and a second side; and
wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are arranged along one or more of the first side, the bottom, or the second side within the channel.

13. A device comprising:
a crossbar having a first end and a second end;
a first plurality of crossbar engagement features arranged along a back wall of the crossbar;
a plurality of electrical contacts arranged along the crossbar;
a connector electrically connected to one or more of the plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the connector is configured to convey digital data signals; and
a lower engagement section of the crossbar, the lower engagement section arranged along a bottom of the crossbar, the lower engagement section comprising a second plurality of engagement features.

14. The device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first bracket attached proximate to the first end of the crossbar; and
a second bracket attached proximate to the second end of the crossbar, wherein each of the first and second brackets comprises:
a bracket body;
an upper engagement tab extending from an upper portion of a first end of the bracket body, the upper engagement tab comprising:
a first notch positioned proximal to the bracket body;
a second notch positioned distal to the bracket body;

a lower engagement tab extending from a lower portion of the first end of the bracket body, the lower engagement tab comprising:
a third notch positioned proximal to the bracket body; and
a distal surface.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of crossbar engagement features comprise one or more of slots, recesses, tabs, or rails.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of crossbar engagement features are arranged above the plurality of electrical contacts.

17. The device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are positioned on a back side of the crossbar and comprise linear electrical contacts with a long axis that is parallel to a long axis of the crossbar and extending between the first end and the second end.

18. The device of claim 13 , wherein each of the first plurality of engagement features comprising an engagement slot having a long axis that is perpendicular to a long axis of the crossbar.

19. The device of claim 18 , each of the engagement slots comprising:
a rectangular cross section perpendicular to the long axis of the engagement slot; and
a first portion of the engagement slot that is wider than a second portion.

20. The device of claim 18 , the crossbar further comprising:
a channel extending from the first end to the second end, the channel having a first side, a bottom, and a second side; and
wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are arranged along one or more of the first side, the bottom, or the second side within the channel.

21. A system comprising:
a fixture comprising:
a crossbar comprising:
a plurality of crossbar engagement features; and
a plurality of electrical contacts;

a first weighing module coupled to the crossbar via a first crossbar engagement feature of the plurality of crossbar engagement features; and
a second weighing module coupled to the crossbar via a second crossbar engagement feature of the plurality of crossbar engagement features.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Danenberg Michael Nathan
• Feiereisen Jeffrey Kevin
• Siegel Jacob
• Skaloud Brett Allen
• Duester Thomas
• Tidman James Merton
• Pfund Dawn Marie
• De Bonet Jeremy Samuel
• Mcmahon Nicholas

Classifications

• G01G21/23 Primary

  Support or suspension of weighing platforms (G01G21/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01G19/42 Primary

  for counting by weighing (G01G19/387 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47F1/12

  dispensing from the side of an approximately horizontal stack {(A47F1/087 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A47F1/035

  having measuring devices · CPC title

• H05K5/0073

  having specific features for mounting the housing on an external structure · CPC title