Systems and methods for high throughput sorting
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsScott R. Bombaugh, Tuan A. Le, Charles P. McLellan, Christopher M. Stratton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high throughput sorting device is disclosed. The device includes a first sorter and a second sorter, each of the first and second sorters having a plurality of cells each configured to support, carry, and deposit an item. The device can also include at least one shared chute extending below a portion of the first sorter and a portion of the second sorter. The at least one chute can be configured to receive an item deposited by each of the plurality of cells and transport the item to an endpoint. The device can also include a base configured to support the at least one shared chute and the first and second sorters.
Claims10
A high throughput sorting device, comprising:
- a sorter including a first sorter section parallel to a second sorter section, the first sorter section and the second sorter section comprising a plurality of cells, each of the plurality of cells including a platform configured to:
- support an item when in a closed configuration;
- and
- deposit the item from the cell when in an open configuration;
- and
- a plurality of chutes, each of the plurality of chutes extending simultaneously at least partially underneath the first sorter section and at least partially underneath the second sorter section, each of the plurality of chutes configured to receive the item deposited from any one of the plurality of cells on the first sorter section and any one of the plurality of cells on the second sorter section and to transport the item to one of the plurality of sorting destinations.
A high throughput sorting device, comprising:
- a sorter including a first sorter section parallel to a second sorter section, the first sorter section and the second sorter section comprising a plurality of cells, each of the plurality of cells including a platform comprising a pair of doors, wherein the pair of doors comprise a leading door and a trailing door, the trailing door being shorter than the leading door, wherein the platform is configured to:
- support an item when in a closed configuration;
- and
- deposit the item from the cell when in an open configuration;
- and
- a plurality of chutes, each of the plurality of chutes extending below the first sorter section and below the second sorter section, the plurality of chutes configured to receive items deposited from the plurality of cells and to transport the items to a plurality of sorting destinations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.