Systems and methods for dynamic processing of objects using box tray assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11198532-B2
Application number	US-201916291506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2019
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A box handling system is disclosed for use in an object processing system. The box handling system includes a box tray including a recessed area for receiving a box, and the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box that contains objects to be processed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A box handling system, comprising:
a box having one or more outer flaps provided at a top of the box;
a box tray including a recessed area for receiving the box, wherein the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box; and
a box cover for placement over the top of the box such that the one or more outer flaps of the box are maintained in an open position along an outside of the box, wherein the box cover defines an open top portion that permits access to an interior of the box, wherein the box tray includes box tray identifying indicia uniquely identifying the box tray, wherein the box cover includes a recessed area in which box cover identifying indicia that uniquely identifies the box cover is located, and wherein a processing system records the box cover identifying indicia of the box cover and the box tray identifying indicia of the box tray that hold the box.

2. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box tray is provided on a conveyor.

3. The box handling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the conveyor includes an adjustable stop to limit a movement of the box tray on the conveyor in a first direction.

4. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box includes box identifying indicia uniquely identifying the box.

5. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing system associates the box tray identifying indicia of the box tray with a defined set of objects.

6. The box handling system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the defined set of objects are homogenous.

7. The box handling system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the defined set of objects are heterogeneous.

8. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing system is responsive to perception output from a perception unit for analyzing the box tray identifying indicia.

9. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box tray includes an alignment means for stacking adjacent box trays.

10. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box tray includes an attachment means for attracting adjacent box trays toward the box tray.

11. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box cover includes side wall portions that are received by corner tabs of an adjacent box cover when a plurality of box covers are stacked together.

12. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box cover provides that outer flaps of boxes of multiple sizes may be held in an open position.

13. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box cover provides that multiple sizes of outer flaps of boxes may be held in an open position.

14. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box is able to be filled to a level higher than a height of the box through the box cover.

15. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a kicker assembly that includes an actuatable urging device that is actuatable to selectively move a box tray assembly from a conveyor.

16. The box handling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box tray further comprises one or more magnets arranged on one or more of the edge portions of the box tray for magnetically coupling the box tray to an adjacent box tray.

17. A box handling system comprising:
a box having one or more outer flaps provided at a top of the box;
a box tray including a recessed area for receiving the box, wherein the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box, wherein the box tray includes an attachment means for attracting adjacent box trays toward the box tray; and
a box cover for placement over the top of the box such that the one or more outer flaps of the box are maintained in an open position along an outside of the box, and wherein the box cover defines an open top portion that permits access to an interior of the box.

18. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box tray is provided on a conveyor.

19. The box handling system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the conveyor includes an adjustable stop to limit a movement of the box tray on the conveyor in a first direction.

20. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box tray includes box tray identifying indicia uniquely identifying the box tray.

21. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box includes box identifying indicia uniquely identifying the box.

22. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the processing system associates the box tray identifying indicia of the box tray with a defined set of objects.

23. The box handling system as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the defined set of objects are homogenous.

24. The box handling system as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the defined set of objects are heterogeneous.

25. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the processing system is responsive to perception output from a perception unit for analyzing the box tray identifying indicia.

26. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box tray includes an alignment means for stacking adjacent box trays.

27. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box cover includes a recessed area in which box cover identifying indicia that uniquely identifies the box cover is located.

28. The box handling system as claimed in claim 27 , wherein a processing system records the box cover identifying indicia of the box cover and the box tray identifying indicia of the box tray that hold the box.

29. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box cover includes side wall portions that are received by corner tabs of an adjacent box cover when a plurality of box covers are stacked together.

30. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box cover provides that outer flaps of boxes of multiple sizes may be held in an open position.

31. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box cover provides that multiple sizes of outer flaps of boxes may be held in an open position.

32. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box is able to be filled to a level higher than a height of the box through the box cover.

33. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising a kicker assembly that includes an actuatable urging device that is actuatable to selectively move a box tray assembly from a conveyor.

34. The box handling system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the box tray further comprises one or more magnets arranged on one or more of the edge portions of the box tray for magnetically coupling the box tray to an adjacent box tray.

35. A box handling system comprising:
a box having one or more outer flaps provided at a top of the box;
a box tray including a recessed area for receiving the box, wherein the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box, and wherein the box tray further comprises one or more magnets arranged on one or more of the edge portions of the box tray for magnetically coupling the box tray to an adjacent box tray; and
a box cover for placement

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Inc

Inventors

• Amend Jr John Richard
• McMahan William Chu-Hyon
• Romano Joseph
• Hinchey Victoria
• King Jennifer Eileen
• Wagner Thomas

Classifications

• B65G1/1376

  the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor · CPC title

• B25J9/16

  Program controls (total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, G05B19/418) · CPC title

• B65D5/001 Primary

  stackable · CPC title

• B25J9/0093 Primary

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• B65G60/00

  Simultaneously or alternatively stacking and de-stacking of articles · CPC title