Systems and methods for assisting in object grasping from containers in object processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12134525-B2
Application number	US-202217742611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	May 12, 2021
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A container jostling system for jostling objects within a container is disclosed, where the container is positioned on a conveyor that includes a plurality of rollers that are mutually spaced from one another. The container jostling system includes at least one container contact element that is movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor, and is movable horizontally in a direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container jostling system for jostling objects within a container, comprising:
a conveyor that includes a plurality of rollers that are mutually spaced from one another;
at least one container contact element that is movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor and movable horizontally in a direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers; and
at least one hard stop disposed along a side of the conveyor,
wherein the at least one container contact element lifts and laterally shifts a container containing objects moving on the conveyor such that the container impacts the at least one hard stop, and wherein the impact of the container against the at least one hard stop causes the objects within the container to shift therein.

2. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the jostling system includes a plurality of container contact elements that are movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor, and wherein each container contact element includes a rotatable paddle.

3. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each rotatable paddle is round, and is mounted eccentrically on a drive shaft.

4. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each rotatable paddle is oval-shaped.

5. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the paddles are rotatable at a plurality of rotational velocities.

6. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the paddles are rotatable at a plurality of rotational accelerations.

7. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the paddles are concurrently rotatable at mutually different rotational velocities.

8. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the paddles are concurrently rotatable at mutually different rotational accelerations.

9. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one container contact element includes a transverse belt that is liftable between the at least two rollers and actuatable in the direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers.

10. The container jostling system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the container jostling system includes at least two container contact elements, each container contact element including a transverse belt that is liftable between the at least two rollers and actuatable in the direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers.

11. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one hard stop is a brace wall.

12. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one hard stop is a side rail.

13. An object processing system comprising:
a conveyor that includes a plurality of rollers that are mutually spaced from one another;
a programmable motion device for accessing objects within a container on the conveyor;
at least one container contact element that is movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor;
an actuator for moving the at least one container contact element in a direction that is substantially transverse with the direction of vertical movement; and
at least one hard stop disposed along a side of the conveyor,
wherein the at least one container contact element lifts and laterally shifts the container moving on the conveyor against the at least one hard stop, thereby causing the objects to shift within the container prior to the programmable motion device accessing any of the objects within the container.

14. The object processing system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the object processing system includes a plurality of container contact elements that are movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor, and wherein each container contact element includes a rotatable paddle.

15. The object processing system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each rotatable paddle is round, and is mounted eccentrically on a drive shaft.

16. The object processing system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each rotatable paddle is oval-shaped.

17. The object processing system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the paddles are rotatable at a plurality of rotational velocities.

18. The object processing system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the paddles are rotatable at a plurality of rotational accelerations.

19. The object processing system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the paddles are concurrently rotatable at mutually different rotational velocities.

20. The object processing system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the paddles are concurrently rotatable at mutually different rotational accelerations.

21. The object processing system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the at least one container contact element includes a transverse belt that is liftable between the at least two rollers and actuatable in the direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers of the conveyor.

22. The object processing system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the object processing system includes at least two container contact elements, each container contact element including a transverse belt that is liftable between the at least two rollers and actuatable in the direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers of the conveyor.

23. The object processing system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the at least one hard stop is a brace wall.

24. The object processing system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the at least one hard stop is a side rail.

25. A method of jostling at least one object in a container on a conveyor, said method comprising:
moving at least one container contact element vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor;
actuating an actuator to move the at least one contact element in a direction that is substantially transverse with the direction of vertical movement such that the at least one contact element lifts and laterally shifts a container moving on the conveyor against at least one hard stop disposed along a side of the conveyor, thereby causing objects within the container to shift therein.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the method includes moving a plurality of container contact elements vertically between at least two portions of the conveyor, and wherein each container contact element includes a rotatable paddle.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein each rotatable paddle is round, and is mounted eccentrically on a drive shaft.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein each rotatable paddle is oval-shaped.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the paddles are rotatable at a plurality of rotational velocities.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the paddles are rotatable at a plurality of rotational accelerations.

31. The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the paddles are concurrently rotatable at mutually different rotational velocities.

32. The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the paddles are concurrently rotatable at mutually different rotational accelerations.

33. The method as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the at least one container contact element includes a transverse belt that is liftable between the at

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Operating Company Inc

Inventors

• Anderson Bretton
• Amend Jr John Richard

Classifications

• B65G47/82

  Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels {(means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453)} · CPC title

• B65G13/00 Primary

  Roller-ways (storage devices comprising roller-ways B65G1/02; endless-chain conveyors comprising load-supporting rollers B65G17/00; rollers or arrangements thereof B65G39/00) · CPC title

• B65G2201/0258

  Trays, totes or bins · CPC title

• B65G27/32

  with means for controlling direction, frequency or amplitude of vibration or shaking movement · CPC title

• B65G27/12

  of shaking devices, i.e. devices for producing movements of low frequency and large amplitude · CPC title