# US 11,077,966 B2 · Method of bagging mass-fabricated custom items > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,966 B2 - Document ID: US11077966B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/678,699 - Filed: 2019-11-08 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2006-11-28 - Assignees: Align Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Align Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Stanley E. Sankaran; Eric Kuo; Kevin M. Conlon; Josh Van Riper - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077966B2 ## CPC - B65B 5/045: {in bags} - B65B 35/10: Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles - B65B 43/123: {Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain} - B65B 43/267: {Opening of bags interconnected in a web} - B65B 43/34: by internal pressure - B65B 57/00: Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) - B65B 61/025: {for applying, e.g. printing, code or date marks on material prior to packaging} - B65B 61/20: for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents (adding unpacking elements B65B61/18) - B65B 65/003: {Packaging lines, e.g. general layout} - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) ## Abstract A method for inserting mass-customized items into bags includes the steps of (a) identifying each individual item of a plurality of mass customized items using item-specific identification information associated with each individual item in a computer system database; (b) conveying the plurality of identified individual items on an item conveyor; (c) conveying a plurality of bags on a bag conveyor, each of the bags being associated with the item-specific identification information associated with least one of the individual mass-customized items; (d) associating each of the bags with the item identification information associated with each of the identified individual mass-customized items; (e) receiving the plurality of mass-customized items from the item conveyor; and (f) inserting each individual mass-customized item into one of the bags that has been associated with the individual mass-customized item using the item-specific identification information in the database identifying the individual mass-customized item. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for inserting mass-customized items into bags, comprising: identifying each individual mass-customized item of a plurality of mass-customized items using item-specific identification information associated with each individual mass-customized item in a computer system database; conveying the plurality of identified individual mass-customized items on an item conveyor; conveying a plurality of bags on a bag conveyor, each of the bags being associated with the item-specific identification information associated with at least one of the individual mass-customized items; associating each of the bags with the item-specific identification information associated with each of the identified individual mass-customized items; receiving the plurality of identified individual mass-customized items from the item conveyor; and inserting each individual mass-customized item into one of the bags that has been associated with the individual mass-customized item using the item-specific identification information in the database identifying the individual mass-customized item. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the item-specific identification information is physically associated with each individual mass-customized item in machine-readable form, and wherein the step of identifying each individual mass-customized item comprises: reading the item-specific identification information that is physically associated with the individual mass-customized item; and storing the item-specific identification information in the computer system database. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the step of associating each of the bags comprises: retrieving the stored item-specific identification information from the computer system database; and printing the retrieved item-specific identification information on each of the bags. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the item-specific identification information is printed on each of the bags in machine-readable form. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: reading the printed item-specific identification information from each of the bags; and verifying the item identification-specific information read from each of the bags against the stored item-specific identification information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the item conveyor receives each of the individual mass-customized items from a puck on a puck conveyor, wherein each of the pucks on the puck conveyor carries at least one mass-customized item associated with the puck by item-specific information stored in a computer system database, and wherein the method further comprises removing each of the mass-customized items from its associated puck on the puck conveyor and placing it on the item conveyor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein each of the pucks is marked with the item-specific identification information associated with the at least one mass-customized item carried on the puck, and wherein the method further comprises: reading the item-specific identification information from each of the pucks; transmitting the item-specific identification information to the computer system database; retrieving the item-specific identification information for each of the mass-customized items from the computer system database; and applying the item-specific identification information to a bag into which the at least one mass-customized item is to be inserted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the plurality of identified individual mass-customized items further comprises positioning each of the identified individual mass-customized items prior to their insertion into the bags. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each of the individual mass-customized items is marked with the item-specific identification information, and wherein the method further comprises: reading the item-specific identification information from each of the individual mass-customized items; transmitting the item-specific identification information to the computer system database; retrieving the item-specific identification information for each of the individual mass-customized items from the computer system database; and applying the item-specific identification information to a bag into which the individual mass-customized item is to be inserted. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mass-customized items are dental appliances. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the item-specific identification information includes information identifying (a) a group for each individual mass-customized item, and (b) a sequential place for each individual mass-customized item within its group.