System for transferring articles from a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11352227-B2
Application number	US-202117146367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2021
Priority date	Sep 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes retainers configured to secure a first tray and a second tray, a movable paddle assembly, a frame, and a plurality of actuators. The system is configured to transfer articles from the first tray to the second tray by an automated process including securing the articles within the first tray with the paddle assembly, rotating the frame by approximately 90° to 100°, moving the paddle assembly in a series of linear translations to remove the items from the first tray and place the items into the second tray, rotating the frame back to its initial orientation, and releasing the items into the second tray.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for transferring items, the system comprising:
a retainer configured to secure a tray within the system, the tray containing one or more items;
an item engaging assembly movably coupled relative to the retainer, wherein the item engaging assembly is adjustable to selectively engage and release items at least partially disposed within the item engaging assembly, and wherein the item engaging assembly is movable relative to the retainer along a first linear axis parallel to a bottom surface of the tray and along a second linear axis perpendicular to the bottom surface of the tray; and
a plurality of motors configured to adjust the item engaging assembly, to move the item engaging assembly along the first linear axis and the second linear axis, and to rotate the retainer and the item engaging assembly about a rotation axis parallel to the first linear axis, in a predetermined sequence to transfer the one or more items from the tray to an item receiving location spaced from the tray along the first linear axis.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined sequence comprises:
while the retainer and the item engaging assembly are in an upright orientation, causing the item engaging assembly to engage the one or more items within the tray;
rotating the retainer and the item engaging assembly to a rotated orientation;
moving the item engaging assembly out of the tray along the second linear axis;
moving the item engaging assembly along the first linear axis to a position proximate the item receiving location;
moving the item engaging assembly to a position at least partially within the item receiving location;
rotating the retainer and the item engaging assembly to the upright orientation; and
causing the item engaging assembly to release the one or more items into the item receiving location.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the rotated orientation is rotated by at least 90° relative to the upright orientation.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retainer comprises at least one end pusher configured to move the one or more items away from an inner wall of the tray.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one end pusher is further configured to secure the tray relative to the retainer by moving inwardly through one or more openings in side walls of the tray.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the item engaging assembly comprises a surface disposed such that the one or more items rest at least partially on the surface when the retainer and the item engaging assembly are in a rotated orientation.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor configured to move a tray parallel to the first linear axis while the retainer and the item engaging assembly are in an upright orientation.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect the presence of the tray within the system, wherein the plurality of motors are configured to initiate the predetermined sequence based at least in part on detecting the presence of the tray.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the item receiving location comprises a second tray secured to a second retainer coupled within the system such that the second retainer and the second tray rotate simultaneously with the retainer and the item engaging assembly.

10. A paddle assembly for transferring items from a container, the paddle assembly comprising:
a first paddle comprising a first item engaging surface;
a second paddle comprising a second item engaging surface parallel to the first item engaging surface, the second paddle being movable relative to the first paddle along a paddle axis perpendicular to the first and second item engaging surfaces;
an extendable item support comprising one or more item support surfaces disposed between the first and second item engaging surfaces; and
at least one motor configured to adjust the distance between the paddles to selectively engage and release items disposed at least partially between the first and second item engaging surfaces.

11. The paddle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the one or more item support surfaces comprise a plurality of parallel back plates.

12. The paddle assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of parallel back plates include a first back plate coupled in a fixed position relative to the first item engaging surface and a second back plate coupled in a fixed position relative to the second item engaging surface.

13. The paddle assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first and second back plates are at least partially overlapping such that the first and second back plates span substantially the entire distance between the first and second item engaging surfaces.

14. The paddle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the paddle assembly is coupled to a motorized rotatable frame configured to simultaneously rotate the paddle assembly and a container at least 90 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to the paddle axis.

15. The paddle assembly of claim 14 , wherein the motorized rotatable frame is configured to rotate the paddle assembly and the container from an upright orientation, in which the items at least partially disposed between the first and second item engaging surfaces rest on a bottom surface of the container, to a rotated orientation in which the items rest on the one or more item support surfaces.

16. The paddle assembly of claim 15 , wherein the extendable item support further comprises one or more parallel top plates disposed perpendicular to the one or more item support surfaces and disposed perpendicular to and at least partially between the paddles, such the one or more item support surfaces and the one or more parallel top plates retain the one or more items within the paddle assembly when the paddle assembly and the container are in the rotated orientation.

17. The paddle assembly of claim 14 , wherein the paddle assembly is coupled to the motorized rotatable frame by a motorized translation frame configured to slide the paddle assembly along a second axis perpendicular to the paddle axis, from a first position at least partially within the container to a second position outside of the container.

18. The paddle assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a paddle assembly track, wherein the second paddle is coupled to and movable along the paddle assembly track.

19. The paddle assembly of claim 18 , wherein the first paddle is fixed relative to the paddle assembly track, and wherein the at least one motor adjusts the distance between the paddles by moving the second paddle along the paddle axis while the first paddle remains stationary.

20. The paddle assembly of claim 18 , wherein the first paddle is coupled to and movable along the paddle assembly track, and wherein the at least one motor adjusts the distance between the paddles by moving the first and second paddles inward or outward.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Perry-Eaton Wayne
• Potts Jr George W
• RADTKE Daniel

Classifications

• B65H2301/422542

  emptying or unloading processes · CPC title

• B65H2301/422548

  filling or loading process · CPC title

• B65H29/02

  by mechanical grippers engaging the leading edge only of the articles · CPC title

• B65H15/02 Primary

  Overturning piles · CPC title

• B65H2301/42242

  by acting on the outermost articles of the pile for clamping the pile · CPC title