Systems, devices and methods for receiving an item

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899570-B2
Application number	US-201916398040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2014
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods for receiving an item in a receptacle are disclosed. Features are disclosed for receiving and guiding an item in a receiving space of a receptacle so as to attenuate or remove the impact force of the item on the receptacle. Some embodiments of the disclosure include a bumper having an impact surface which absorbs most or all of the impact force of the item and thereby mitigates or removes the imposition of cyclic impact loads on the receptacle from repeated receipt of items. The bumper may be structurally and/or functionally de-coupled or otherwise physically separated from the receptacle such that an advantageous division of labor is created between absorbing the impact and receiving the item. This disclosure may be useful, for example, in modern industrial operations where a high volume of items are received daily, such as in mail sorting and handling operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bumper for absorbing an impact force of a received item, the bumper comprising:
an elongated member fixed to a bottom surface, the elongated member comprising a top surface extending between a front end and a back end,
wherein the top surface comprises a front portion, a back portion, and an impact surface disposed between the front portion and the back portion, the impact surface being configured to absorb the impact force of the received item, and
wherein the impact surface is disposed on the top surface at a height from the bottom surface higher than the top surface at the front end and wherein the front portion is angled to extend upward from the front end to the impact surface to smoothly guide a second item from the front end over the top surface of the bumper.

2. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the impact surface comprises a step between the front portion and the back portion such that the front portion is positioned higher from bottom surface than the back portion.

3. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the bumper defines a first length.

4. The bumper of claim 3 , wherein the bumper is disposed below a moveable receptacle that moves in a first direction along a length of and above the elongated member, wherein the elongated member extends along the length from the front end to the back end and wherein the first length is greater than a distance between a front side and a back side of the moveable receptacle.

5. The bumper of claim 3 , wherein the elongated member is configured to extend into and between a first notch and a second notch of the movable receptacle.

6. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the elongated member is fixed to the bottom surface using one or more shock absorbers, wherein the one or more shock absorbers enable the elongated member to further attenuate the impact force of the received item.

7. The bumper of claim 6 , wherein the elongated member fixed to the bottom surface using the one or more shock absorbers is configured to vibrate in two dimensions.

8. A bumper system for absorbing impact forces of received items, the system comprising:
a first bumper having an elongated member fixed to a base, the elongated member comprising a top surface extending between a front end and a back end,
wherein the top surface comprises a front portion, a back portion, and a first impact surface disposed between the front portion and the back portion, the first impact surface being configured to absorb the impact force of the received item, and
wherein the impact surface is disposed on the top surface at a height from the bottom surface higher than the top surface at the front end and wherein the front portion is angled to extend upward from the front end to the impact surface to smoothly guide a second item from the front end over the top surface of the bumper; and

a second bumper fixed to the base and positioned proximate the first bumper.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second bumper comprises a second impact surface on a top surface of the second bumper, the second impact surface being aligned with the first impact surface of the first bumper and configured to absorb the impact force of the received item together with the first impact surface of the first bumper.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second bumper comprises a second impact surface on a top surface of the second bumper, the second impact surface being configured to absorb a second impact force of a second received item.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first bumper has a first length from the front end to the back end and wherein the second bumper has a second length from a front end of the second bumper to a back end of the second bumper, and wherein the first bumper and the second bumper are disposed in parallel along the first length and the second length.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the received item contacts both of the first bumper and the second bumper when deposited into a moveable receptacle that moves in a first direction aligned with the first length and the second length.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the elongated member extends along a length from the front end to the back end and wherein the first length is greater than a distance between a front side and a back side of a moveable receptacle that moves in a first direction aligned with the length of and above the elongated member.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the elongated member fixed to the bottom surface using the one or more shock absorbers is configured to vibrate in two dimensions.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first impact surface comprises a step between the front portion and the back portion such that the front portion is positioned higher from bottom surface than the back portion.

16. The system of claim 8 , wherein the top surface of the first bumper defines a first length.

17. The system of claim 8 , wherein the elongated member is configured to extend into and between a first notch and a second notch of the movable receptacle.

18. The system of claim 8 , wherein the elongated member is fixed to the base using one or more shock absorbers, wherein the one or more shock absorbers enable the elongated member to further attenuate the impact force.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Yang Dongliang
• Goodbar Iii James E

Classifications

• B65H29/46

  Members reciprocated in rectilinear path · CPC title

• B07C1/025

  Devices for the temporary stacking of objects provided with a stacking and destacking device (interstack device) · CPC title

• B65H2403/60

  Damping means, shock absorbers · CPC title

• B65H2301/42146

  by introducing articles from above · CPC title

• B65H2701/1916

  Envelopes and articles of mail · CPC title