Object processing systems and methods with multi-object shuttling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12428237-B2
Application number	US-202318131618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2023
Priority date	Apr 6, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A carrier system is disclosed for use in an object processing system. The carrier system includes a carrier body including a plurality of containment areas for respectively receiving a plurality of objects at a loading station, a motion actuator for moving the carrier body from the loading station to a distribution area, and an ejection actuation system for actuating the carrier body to deposit each of the plurality of objects into different destination locations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier system for use in an object processing system, said carrier system comprising:
a carrier body including a plurality of containment areas for respectively receiving a plurality of objects at a loading station;
a motion actuator for moving the carrier body from the loading station to a distribution area; and
an ejection actuation system for actuating the carrier body to deposit each of the plurality of objects into different destination locations,
the carrier body comprising at least one divided carriage that includes a dividing wall, wherein the plurality of containment areas of the at least one divided carriage are provided on either side of the dividing wall.

2. The carrier system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the loading station includes a conveyor.

3. The carrier system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one divided carriage of the carrier body includes two divided carriages.

4. The carrier system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the two divided carriages travel reciprocally together.

5. The carrier system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the two divided carriages simultaneously for discharging objects to adjacent destination locations.

6. The carrier system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the two divided carriages individually for discharging objects to non-adjacent destination locations.

7. The carrier system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the at least one divided carriage to rotate in a direction generally transverse to a direction of motion of the motion actuator for tipping the at least one divided carriage to drop any of the plurality of objects into the different destination locations.

8. The carrier system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the at least one divided carriage to rotate in a direction generally transverse to a direction of motion of the motion actuator at the loading station to facilitate loading objects into any one of the plurality of containment areas.

9. The carrier system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ejection actuation system provides that the at least one divided carriage is moved in a conveyor direction that is generally transverse to a direction of motion of the motion actuator for moving the at least one divided carriage.

10. An object processing system comprising:
an input area including a loading station;
a distribution area including a plurality of destination locations;
a carrier body including a plurality of containment areas for respectively receiving a plurality of objects at the loading station;
a motion actuator for moving the carrier body from the loading station to the distribution area; and
an ejection actuation system for actuating the carrier body to deposit each of the plurality of objects into different ones of the plurality of the destination locations,
the carrier body comprising at least one divided carriage including a dividing wall, wherein the plurality of containment areas of the at least one divided carriage are provided on either side of the dividing wall.

11. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the loading station includes a conveyor.

12. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one divided carriage of the carrier body includes two divided carriages.

13. The object processing system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the two divided carriages travel reciprocally together.

14. The object processing system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the two divided carriages simultaneously for discharging objects to adjacent destination locations.

15. The object processing system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the two divided carriages individually for discharging objects to different destination locations.

16. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the at least one divided carriage to rotate in a direction generally transverse to a direction of motion of the motion actuator for tipping the at least one divided carriage to drop each of the plurality of objects into the different ones of the plurality of the destination locations.

17. The object processing system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the ejection actuation system actuates the at least one divided carriage to rotate in a direction generally transverse to a direction of motion of the motion actuator at the loading station to facilitate loading objects into any one of the plurality of containment areas.

18. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the ejection actuation system provides that the at least one divided carriage is moved in a conveyor direction that is generally transverse to a direction of motion of the motion actuator for moving the at least one divided carriage.

19. A method of processing objects, said method comprising:
providing an input area including a loading station;
providing a distribution area including a plurality of destination locations;
receiving at the loading station a plurality of objects in a plurality of containment areas of a carrier body;
moving the carrier body from the loading station to the distribution area in a first direction; and
actuating the carrier body to deposit each of the plurality of objects into different ones of the plurality of the destination locations,
the carrier body comprising at least one divided carriage that includes a dividing wall, wherein the plurality of containment areas of the at least one divided carriage are provided on either side of the dividing wall.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the loading station includes a conveyor.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one divided carriage of the carrier body includes two divided carriages.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein moving the carrier body includes moving the two divided carriages simultaneously.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein actuating the carrier body to deposit each of the plurality of objects includes actuating the two divided carriages simultaneously for discharging objects to adjacent destination locations.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the actuating the carrier body to deposit each of the plurality of objects into the different ones of the plurality of the destination locations includes rotating the at least one divided carriage in a direction generally transverse to the first direction to tip the at least one divided carriage to drop each of the plurality of objects into the different ones of the plurality of the destination locations.

25. The method of claim 19 , further comprising moving a conveyor to a selected position at which to receive any object with a selected containment area of the at least one divided carriage having a selected size.

26. The carrier system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one divided carriage further includes a retention top plate orthogonally disposed on the top of the dividing wall.

27. The object processing system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one divided carriage further includes a retention top plate orthogonally disposed on the top of the dividing wall.

28. The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one divided carriage fur

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Operating Company Inc

Inventors

• Kim Dongshin
• Torrey Jacob
• Kittredge Jeffrey
• Scolnic Jessica
• Best Joshua

Classifications

• B65G2812/12

  Conveyors with reciprocating means · CPC title

• B65G47/40

  by tilting conveyor buckets · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

  the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas · CPC title

• B65G2201/0285

  Postal items, e.g. letters, parcels · CPC title

• B65G35/06 Primary

  comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path (effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32) · CPC title