Item consolidator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420311-B1
Application number	US-202217703765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2022
Priority date	Mar 24, 2022
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Item consolidation tools are described. In one example, an item consolidator includes first and second bay doors, a door displacement system, and a controller. The door displacement system includes first and second drive systems secured to the undersides of the first and second bay doors. The drive systems provide angular and a lateral degrees of freedom, to move the first and second bay doors. The controller is configured to direct the door displacement system to form a bay door vertex between leading edges of the bay doors. Items can be placed on the doors and will rest at the vertex between the doors. The controller can also determine drop locations for the items. The controller can then direct the door displacement system to reposition the bay door vertex based on the drop locations and drop the items by opening or retracting the doors.

First claim

Therefore, the following is claimed:

1. A system for item consolidation, comprising:
a conveyor; and
an item consolidator positioned along the conveyor, the item consolidator comprising:
a first bay door and a second bay door;
a door displacement system, comprising:
a first drive system secured to an underside of the first bay door, the first drive system providing an angular and a lateral degree of freedom to the first bay door; and
a second drive system secured to an underside of the second bay door, the second drive system providing an angular and a lateral degree of freedom to the second bay door; and
a controller configured to:
direct the door displacement system to form a bay door vertex between leading edges of the first bay door and the second bay door;

determine a drop location for an item; and
direct the door displacement system to reposition the bay door vertex based on the drop location.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to direct the door displacement system to open the bay door vertex, to allow the item to drop into a tray.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
direct the door displacement system to spread the first bay door and the second bay door open; and
map content in a tray positioned under the item consolidator using an imaging system.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first drive system comprises a first angular drive assembly and a first linear drive assembly secured to an underside of the first bay door; and
the second drive system comprises a second angular drive assembly and a second linear drive assembly secured to an underside of the second bay door.

5. An item consolidator, comprising:
a first bay door and a second bay door;
a door displacement system, comprising:
a first drive system secured to an underside of the first bay door; and
a second drive system secured to an underside of the second bay door; and
a controller configured to:
direct the door displacement system to form a bay door vertex between leading edges of the first bay door and the second bay door; and
determine a drop location for an item that is positioned over the first bay door and the second bay door with reference to a map of content in a tray.

6. The item consolidator according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
direct the door displacement system to reposition the bay door vertex based on the drop location; and
open the bay door vertex, to allow the item to drop into the tray.

7. The item consolidator according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify clearance at a bottom of a tray with reference to a map of content in the tray; and
determine that an item positioned over the first bay door and the second bay door can be positioned toward a bottom of a tray based on the clearance.

8. The item consolidator according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
direct the door displacement system to reposition the bay door vertex to the bottom of the tray; and
open the bay door vertex, to place the item in the tray.

9. The item consolidator according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
direct the door displacement system to spread the first bay door and the second bay door open; and
map content in a tray positioned under the item consolidator using an imaging system.

10. The item consolidator according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first drive system provides an angular and a lateral degree of freedom to the first bay door; and
the second drive system provides an angular and a lateral degree of freedom to the second bay door.

11. The item consolidator according to claim 10 , wherein the first drive system comprises an angular drive assembly and a linear drive assembly secured to an underside of the first bay door.

12. The item consolidator according to claim 11 , wherein, in the first drive system, the angular drive assembly alters an angular orientation of the linear drive assembly.

13. The item consolidator according to claim 12 , wherein the linear drive assembly comprises a rack gear secured to the underside of the first bay door and a rack drive engaged with the rack gear.

14. The item consolidator according to claim 5 , further comprising a sensor system configured to provide position feedback signals for adjustment of a location of the bay door vertex.

15. A method of consolidating items, comprising:
mapping content in a tray to form a map of the content;
directing a door displacement system of an item consolidator to form a bay door vertex between leading edges of a first bay door and a second bay door of the item consolidator;
determining a drop location for an item based on the map; and
directing the door displacement system to reposition the bay door vertex based on the drop location.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising opening the bay door vertex to drop the item into the tray.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, before the mapping, opening the bay doors for imaging the content in the tray.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein directing the door displacement system to reposition the bay door vertex comprises shifting the first bay door and the second bay door, together, to maintain the leading edges within a certain distance from each other.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the door displacement system comprises an angular drive assembly and a linear drive assembly secured to an underside of the first bay door.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Moshouris Emanuel
• Claretti Ennio
• Dunne Emily
• Stubbs Andrew
• Ruffatto Don Frank
• Muhlbauer Rachel Lynn
• Bole Nikhil
• Hector Mike

Classifications

• B65G2203/0233

  Position of the article · CPC title

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B65G2201/02

  Articles · CPC title

• B65G2203/0208

  relating to the transported articles · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title