Decline station
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRaashid Mohammed, Majid Abdul, Eric C. Flagel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments herein describe a decline station for moving items between two structures at different heights. In one embodiment, the decline station includes a receiving ramp which receives an item from the first, upper structure. The receiving ramp is aligned with a pivot ramp so that items can be transferred from the receiving ramp onto the pivot ramp. The pivot ramp includes at least two positions: a receiving position where the pivot ramp is coplanar with the receiving ramp and a discharge position where the pivot ramp is aligned with another, lower ramp in the station—e.g., another pivot ramp or a discharge ramp. The item is transferred between ramps until it is eventually discharged onto a second, lower structure.
Claims17
A method of operating a decline station in a building, the method comprising:
- receiving, from a first structure, an item at a receiving ramp in the decline station;
- transferring the item from the receiving ramp to a first pivot ramp in the decline station;
- pivoting the first pivot ramp to align with a second pivot ramp in the decline station after the item is transferred onto the first pivot ramp;
- transferring the item from the first pivot ramp to the second pivot ramp;
- before transferring the item from the first pivot ramp to the second pivot ramp, determining using a sensor that the first pivot ramp is aligned with the second pivot ramp;
- disengaging a first stop on the first pivot ramp to permit the item to transfer to the second pivot ramp;
- pivoting the second pivot ramp to align with a transmitting ramp in the decline station after the item is transferred onto the second pivot ramp;
- transferring the item from the second pivot ramp to the transmitting ramp;
- and
- discharging the item from the decline station onto a second structure using the transmitting ramp, wherein the first structure is disposed a greater distance from a floor of the building than the second structure.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, from a first structure, an item at a first ramp in a decline station;
- transferring the item from the first ramp to a pivot ramp in the decline station;
- pivoting the pivot ramp from a receive position aligned with the first ramp to a discharge position aligned with a second ramp, wherein the pivot ramp comprises a counterbalance weight mounted at a first end, wherein pivoting the pivot ramp is performed by an added weight of the item on the pivot ramp overcoming a force applied by the counterbalance weight to hold the pivot ramp in the receive position;
- transferring the item from the pivot ramp to the second ramp, wherein the first ramp, the pivot ramp, and the second ramp establish a zig-zig path for the item;
- and
- discharging the item from the decline station onto a second structure, wherein the first structure is disposed a greater distance from a base of the decline station than the second structure.
A decline station, comprising:
- a first ramp configured to receive an item from a first structure;
- a second ramp;
- a pivot ramp switchable between a receive position and a discharge position, wherein, when in the receive position, the pivot ramp is aligned with the first ramp such that the item is transferable from the first ramp to the pivot ramp, wherein, when in the discharge position, the pivot ramp is aligned with the second ramp such that the item is transferable from the pivot ramp to the second ramp, wherein the first ramp, the pivot ramp, and the second ramp establish a zig-zig path for the item, wherein the pivot ramp comprises a counterbalance weight mounted at a first end, and wherein switching the pivot ramp from the receive position to the discharge position is performed by an added weight of the item on the pivot ramp overcoming a force applied by the counterbalance weight to hold the pivot ramp in the receive position;
- and
- a discharge port configured to discharge the item onto a second structure, wherein the first ramp is disposed a greater distance from a base of the decline station than the discharge port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.