Storage totes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790001-B2
Application number	US-201514966711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

This application describes fabric storage totes, as well as techniques for use of fabric totes in an infrastructure that uses mechanical systems to transport the fabric totes and/or access inventory items in the fabric totes. The fabric totes may include a fabric base and side walls, with a hardened material support structure. Additionally, the fabric totes may include two handles made of a substantially hard material. The fabric totes may be accessed and transported, manually and/or mechanically, via interaction with the handles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric tote comprising:
a rectangular base portion comprising a fabric material;
a front portion comprising the fabric material and a first structural element comprising at least one of a first plastic, a first metal, or a first composite material, the front portion being coupled to a front edge of the rectangular base portion;
a back portion comprising the fabric material and a second structural element comprising at least one of a second plastic, a second metal, or a second composite material, the back portion being coupled to a back edge of the rectangular base portion;
a first side portion and a second side portion comprising the fabric material, the first side portion being associated with a third structural element comprising at least one of a third plastic, a third metal, or a third composite material, and the second side portion being associated with a fourth structural element, the fourth structural element comprising at least one of a fourth plastic, a fourth metal, or a fourth composite material, the first side portion being coupled to a first side edge of the rectangular base portion, a first side of the front portion, and a first side of the back portion, the second side portion being coupled to a second side edge of the rectangular base portion, a second side of the front portion, and a second side of the back portion;
a first handle coupled to a first top end of the first side portion via a first front connector and a first back connector and a second handle coupled to a second top end of the second side portion via a second front connector and a second back connector, wherein the first handle and the second handle are configured to adjust from a neutral position, in which the first handle is spaced from the second handle at a first distance, to an open position, in which the first handle is spaced from the second handle at a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance, wherein the open position facilitates access to an inventory item stored in the fabric tote; and
a first roller coupled to the first handle and a second roller coupled to the second handle.

2. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first front connector, the first back connector, the second front connector, and the second back connector are each Y-shaped connectors, and the first roller and the second roller are configured to assist movement of the fabric tote on rails of an inventory pod.

3. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first front connector, the first back connector, the second front connector, and the second back connector are each C-shaped connectors, and the first roller and the second roller are configured to assist movement of the fabric tote on a cable of a conveyor system or a rail of an inventory pod.

4. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the third structural element and the fourth structural element comprises ribbing of substantially rectangular shaped material.

5. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a bias element to create a positional bias to the open position.

6. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , wherein the rectangular base portion, the front portion, the back portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion comprise at least one of:
a cotton material;
a canvas material;
a plastic material; or
a synthetic material.

7. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fabric tote is configured to be housed in an inventory pod for storage.

8. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first handle and the second handle are configured to couple to a structural component of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first roller and the second roller are configured to facilitate sliding of the first handle and the second handle along the at least one of rails or cables of the inventory component, the inventory component comprising an inventory pod, a robotic arm, or a conveyor system.

10. The fabric tote as recited in claim 1 , wherein the third structural element and the fourth structural element comprise ribs configured at an angle relative to a respective side portion.

11. A tote comprising:
a base portion;
a front portion coupled to a front edge of the base portion;
a back portion coupled to a back edge of the base portion;
a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion being coupled to a first side edge of the base portion, a first side of the front portion, and a first side of the back portion, the second side portion being coupled to a second side edge of the base portion, a second side of the front portion, and a second side of the back portion; and
a first handle coupled to a first top end of the first side portion via a first front connector and a first back connector and a second handle coupled to a second top end of the second side portion via a second front connector and a second back connector, wherein the first handle and the second handle are configured to adjust from a neutral position, in which the first handle is spaced from the second handle at a first distance, to an open position, in which the first handle is spaced from the second handle at a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance,
wherein the first front connector, the first back connector, the second front connector, and the second back connector are each a C-shaped connector, and wherein the first handle and the second handle are configured to at least one of slide or roll along at least one of rails or cables of an inventory component.

12. The tote as recited in claim 11 , wherein the base portion, the front portion, the back portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion comprise at least one of:
a cotton material;
a canvas material;
a plastic material; or
a synthetic material.

13. The tote as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
a first roller coupled to the first handle; and
a second roller coupled to the second handle,
wherein the first roller and the second roller are configured to facilitate sliding of the first handle and the second handle along the at least one of rails or cables of the inventory component, the inventory component comprising an inventory pod, a robotic arm or a conveyor system.

14. The tote as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion each comprise a structural element to support a respective side portion, wherein the structural element comprises at least one of:
a plastic material;
a composite material; or
a metal material.

15. The tote as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion each further comprise a bias element to create a positional bias to the open position to facilitate access to an inventory item stored in the tote.

16. A tote comprising:
a base portion;
a front portion coupled to a front edge of the base portion;
a back portion coupled to a back edge of the base portion;
a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion being coupled to a first side edge of the base portion, a first side of the front portion, and a first side of the back portion, the second side portion being coupled to a second side edge of the base portion, a second side of the front portion, and a second side of the back portion; and
a first handle coupled to a first top end of the first side portion via a first front connector and a first back connector and a second handle coupled to a second top end of the second s

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Tubilla Kuri Fernando

Classifications

• B65D11/10

  of polygonal cross-section and all parts being permanently connected to each other (B65D11/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D25/20

  External fittings (of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44) · CPC title

• B65D11/26

  Local reinforcements, e.g. adjacent to closures · CPC title

• G05B2219/45045

  Maintenance, automatic storage and retrieval system · CPC title

• G05B19/4189

  characterised by the transport system · CPC title