Systems and methods for high throughput sorting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337354-B2
Application number	US-202318399477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2023
Priority date	Jan 12, 2016
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A high throughput sorting device is disclosed. The device includes a first sorter and a second sorter, each of the first and second sorters having a plurality of cells each configured to support, carry, and deposit an item. The device can also include at least one shared chute extending below a portion of the first sorter and a portion of the second sorter. The at least one chute can be configured to receive an item deposited by each of the plurality of cells and transport the item to an endpoint. The device can also include a base configured to support the at least one shared chute and the first and second sorters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high throughput sorting system, comprising:
a first sorting section parallel to a second sorting section, the first sorting section and the second sorting section comprising a plurality of cells,
wherein each cell of the first sorting section includes a platform configured to:
support a first item when in a closed configuration, and
deposit the first item from the cell when in an open configuration; and

wherein each cell of the second sorting section includes a platform configured to:
support a second item when in a closed configuration, and
deposit the second item from the cell when in an open configuration;

a plurality of chutes, each chute extending at least partially underneath the first sorting section and the second sorting section, the plurality of chutes configured to receive items deposited through the plurality of cells and to transport the items to a plurality of sorting destinations;
a first inductor positioned to feed the first item into one of the plurality of cells in the first sorting section;
a second inductor positioned to feed the second item into one of the plurality of cells in the second sorting section;
a database configured to record sorting destinations for the first item and the second item and associate the sorting destinations with the one of the plurality of cells containing the first item or the second item; and
a controller configured to:
open the one of the plurality of cells containing the first item or the second item when positioned over one of the plurality of chutes corresponding to the sorting destination of the first item or the second item;
control a first velocity of the plurality of cells of the first sorting section to deposit the first item based on one or more characteristics of the first item; and
control a second velocity of the plurality of cells of the second sorting section based on one or more characteristics of the second item.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an imaging system configured to:
capture an image of the first item or the second item, the image comprising intended destination information for the first item or the second item;
determine an intended destination for the first item or the second item based on the captured image; and
identify a sorting destination from the plurality of sorting destinations for the first item or the second item based on the determined intended destination.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sorting system further comprises an encoder configured to monitor a position of each of the plurality of cells relative to the plurality of chutes.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of cells comprises a sensor configured to determine whether a particular cell is empty.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sensor is an infrared beam emitter and detector and wherein the sensor is configured to determine whether the particular cell is empty based on a status of the infrared beam.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first inductor is configured to feed the first item into one of the plurality of cells in the first sorting section which the sensor determines is empty.

7. A high throughput sorting system, comprising:
a first sorting section parallel to a second sorting section, the first sorting section comprising a plurality of cells having a first size and the second sorting section comprising a plurality of cells having a second size, wherein the first size is different from the second size;
a first inductor positioned to feed one or more items of a first plurality of items into one of the plurality of cells in the first sorting section;
a second inductor positioned to feed one or more items of a second plurality of items into one of the plurality of cells in the second sorting section; and
one or more processors configured to:
determine sorting bins for the one or more items of the first and second plurality of items and associate each one of the plurality of cells containing the one or more items of the first and second plurality of items with a particular sorting bin; and
cause the one or more items of the first and second plurality of items to be deposited from the plurality of cells of the first and second sorting sections into the associated sorting bins.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of cells of the first sorting section are configured to move a first velocity and the plurality of cells of the second sorting section are configured to move at a second velocity.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of cells of first sorting section and the plurality of cells of the second sorting section are configured to move at equal velocities.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of cells of the first sorting section are configured to accommodate items of a first size and the plurality of cells of the second sorting section are configured to accommodate items of a second size different from the first size.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
control the first velocity of the plurality of cells of the first sorting section to deposit the items; and
control the second velocity of the plurality of cells of the second sorting section.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the first and second velocities of the first and second sorting sections based on one or more characteristics of the first and second plurality of items.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first inductor is configured to feed items onto the cells at a first rate matching the first velocity of the cells and the second inductor is configured to feed items onto the cells at a second rate matching the second velocity of the cells.

14. A method of high throughput sorting, the method comprising:
associating a plurality of items with respective sorting bins in a database;
placing, by a first inductor, a first item onto a first cell on a first sorting section of a sorter;
placing, by a second inductor, a second item onto a second cell on a second sorting section of a sorter;
determining a first sorting bin for the first item based on the database;
determining a second sorting bin for the second item based on the database;
depositing the first item into the first sorting bin;
depositing the second item into the second sorting bin;
wherein the first cell is a first size and the second cell is a second size, and wherein the first item is an item of a first size and the second item is an item of a second size.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising moving the first cell at a first velocity and moving the second cell at a second velocity.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
adjusting the first velocity based on a characteristic of the first item; and
adjusting the second velocity based on a characteristic of the second item.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sensing whether the first cell is empty before placing the first item and sensing whether the second cell is empty before placing the second item.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising matching a first placing rate of the first inductor with the first velocity and matching a second placing rate of the second inductor with the second velocity.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Bombaugh Scott R
• Le Tuan A
• Mclellan Charles P
• Stratton Christopher M

Classifications

• B65G47/44

  Arrangements or applications of hoppers or chutes · CPC title

• B65G47/967

  tilting about an axis perpendicular to the conveying direction · CPC title

• B65G47/38

  by dumping, tripping, or releasing load carriers (by flexing or tilting travelling structures B65G47/94) · CPC title

• B07C3/02

  Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution · CPC title

• B07C3/08

  using arrangements of conveyors {(transport of sheets B65H; transport in general B65G)} · CPC title