Item singulation system and method
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRajeev Dwivedi, Mohit Malik, Vivek Narayanan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A conveyor system for processing items, such as manufacturers' products or boxes, from a three-dimensional arrangement to a two-dimensional arrangement includes inclined and declined conveyors. The inclined conveyor may include vacuum through perforations in the belt. A collimating conveyor includes parallel belts that operation at different speeds to move the items laterally via shear forces.
Claims18
A system for converting items in a three-dimensional arrangement to a two-dimensional arrangement, the system comprising at least a first conveyor and a second conveyor:
- the first conveyor being adapted for receiving items in a three-dimensional arrangement, the first conveyor being inclined, wherein at least some of the items are boxes;
- the second conveyor being adapted for receiving the items from the first conveyor, the second conveyor being declined;
- an inclined third conveyor for receiving items from the declined second conveyor;
- and
- a declined fourth conveyor for receiving items from the inclined third conveyor;
- whereby a change in direction as the items move from the inclined first conveyor to the declined second conveyor separates items to diminish layers of items.
A method of converting items in a three-dimensional arrangement to a two-dimensional arrangement, the system comprising the steps of:
- (a) conveying items in a three-dimensional arrangement uphill on an inclined first conveyor, at least some of the items being boxes;
- (b) transporting items from the inclined first conveyor to a declined second conveyor, such that a change in direction as the items move from the inclined first conveyor to the declined second conveyor separates items to diminish layers of items,
- (c) conveying items from the second conveyor uphill to an inclined third conveyor;
- and
- d) conveying items from the third conveyor downhill to a declined fourth conveyor such that a change in direction as the items move from the inclined third conveyor to the declined fourth conveyor separates items to diminish layers of items.
A system for converting items in a three-dimensional arrangement to a two-dimensional arrangement, the system comprising:
- the first conveyor being adapted for receiving items in a three-dimensional arrangement, the first conveyor being inclined;
- the second conveyor being adapted for receiving the items from the first conveyor, the second conveyor being declined;
- whereby a change in direction as the items move from the inclined first conveyor to the declined second conveyor separates items to diminish layers of items;
- an inclined third conveyor for receiving items from the declined second conveyor;
- and
- a declined fourth conveyor for receiving items from the inclined third conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.