System for transferring articles from a container
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsWayne Perry-Eaton, George W. Potts, Jr., Daniel Radtke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes retainers configured to secure a first tray and a second tray, a movable paddle assembly, a frame, and a plurality of actuators. The system is configured to transfer articles from the first tray to the second tray by an automated process including securing the articles within the first tray with the paddle assembly, rotating the frame by approximately 90° to 100°, moving the paddle assembly in a series of linear translations to remove the items from the first tray and place the items into the second tray, rotating the frame back to its initial orientation, and releasing the items into the second tray.
Claims20
A method for transferring items from a tray, the method comprising, by an automated process:
- securing, within a tray content transfer system, a tray containing one or more items;
- securing the one or more items relative to the tray;
- rotating the tray about a rotation axis from an upright orientation to a rotated orientation;
- while the tray is in the rotated orientation:
- moving the one or more items out of the tray;
- and
- moving the one or more items parallel to the rotation axis to a position proximate an item receiving location;
- rotating the tray about the rotation axis from the rotated orientation to the upright orientation;
- and
- releasing the one or more items to the item receiving location.
A method for transferring items from a tray, the method comprising, by an automated tray content transfer system:
- receiving, within the tray content transfer system, a tray containing one or more items, the tray comprising two opposing sidewalls having openings extending therethrough;
- inserting end pushers through the openings;
- contacting at least one of the one or more items with the end pushers;
- spacing the one or more items from the two opposing sidewalls due to the contact with the end pushers;
- moving a paddle assembly of the tray content transfer system to a position at least partially within the tray such that the one or more items are at least partially disposed between a first paddle of the paddle assembly and a second paddle of the paddle assembly parallel to the first paddle;
- decreasing a spacing between the first paddle and the second paddle such that the first paddle and the second paddle each engage at least one of the one or more items;
- rotating the paddle assembly and the tray simultaneously about a rotation axis parallel to the paddle axis to a rotated orientation in which the one or more items rest on one or more item support surfaces of the paddle assembly disposed between the first and second paddles;
- and
- transferring the items from the tray by moving the paddle assembly away from the tray while the paddle assembly and the tray are in the rotated orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.