# US 11,897,701 B2 · Automated packing system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,897,701 B2
- Document ID: US11897701B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/810,269
- Filed: 2022-06-30
- Published: 2023-11-02
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-05-02
- Assignees: Staples, Inc.
- Applicants: Staples, Inc.
- Inventors: Calem Harris; Sebastian Mora; Grant Tucker; Arun Kumar Ranganathan Jagannathan; Carl Skantze; Arnold Tsoka; Mario Faulkner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897701B2

## CPC

- B65G 47/46: and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points (in tube mail systems B65G51/36)
- B07C 3/08: using arrangements of conveyors {(transport of sheets B65H; transport in general B65G)}
- B07C 5/36: Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution {(sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02)}
- B65B 5/06: Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
- B65B 5/101: {by gravity (B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence)}
- B65B 35/24: by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/205 takes precedence)}
- B65B 39/002: {Pivoting plates}
- B65B 39/005: {transverse to flow direction}
- B65B 43/52: using roller-ways or endless conveyors
- B65B 65/003: {Packaging lines, e.g. general layout}
- B65G 47/44: Arrangements or applications of hoppers or chutes
- B65G 47/82: Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels {(means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453)}
- B65G 47/8823: {Pivoting stop, swinging in or out of the path of the article}
- G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12)
- 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)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An automated packing system, which may include a transfer station is described. In an example implementation, system may include an item-consolidation area that receives items, a carton receiving area that receives a carton, and a structure that holds the item-consolidation area vertically higher than the carton-receiving area. The system may also include a passage between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area. The passage that may allow the items to pass from the item-consolidation area and the carton in the carton-receiving area. The system may include an actuation mechanism that controls movement of the items between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
an item-consolidation area that receives one or more items;
a carton-receiving area that receives a carton;
a structure that holds the item-consolidation area vertically higher than the carton-receiving area;
a passage between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area, the passage allowing the one or more items to pass from the item-consolidation area to the carton in the carton-receiving area, the system including one or more door members pivoting to close the passage and pivoting to open the passage; and
an actuation mechanism that controls movement of the one or more items between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area, the actuation mechanism including a support member that provides vertical support to the one or more door members via one or more contact points coupled with the support member when the one or more door members are in a closed position, the support member translating horizontally, the one or more contact points contacting varying points of the one or more door members at varying angles of the one or more door members as the support member translates horizontally.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the item-consolidation area includes one or more walls that prevent the one or more items from falling horizontally out of the item-consolidation area;
the passage is located at a bottom of the item-consolidation area; and
the structure includes a frame that holds the item-consolidation area vertically above the carton-receiving area so that gravity causes the one or more items to fall through the passage and into the carton in the carton-receiving area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a chute including one or more sloped surfaces that guide the one or more items toward the passage in the item-consolidation area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein:
the passage is offset from a center of the item-consolidation area toward a corner of the item-consolidation area; and
the carton-receiving area includes a guide positioning the carton at a location of the carton-receiving area that is offset from a center of the carton-receiving area toward a corner of the carton-receiving area, the corner of the carton-receiving area corresponding to the corner of the item-consolidation area.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the passage includes an aperture in a floor item-consolidation area, the aperture providing an opening between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism includes:
two or more door members closing the passage when in the closed position and opening the passage when in an open position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein:
the two or more door members pivot downward toward the carton-receiving area when in the open position, the two or more door members pivoting away from each other when in the open position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein each of the two or more door members include:
a side wall adapted to guide the one or more items into the carton in the carton-receiving area when the two or more door members are in the open position and the one or more items are moving between the item-consolidation area and the carton in the carton-receiving area.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism includes:
a motor connected to the one or more door members to open or close the one or more door members responsive to a signal from a processor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the support member-includes:
one or more bars that provide the vertical support to the one or more door members when in the closed position, the one or more bars moving to remove the vertical support from the one or more door members when in an open position.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein:
the one or more bars extend beyond two or more sides of the one or more door members when the one or more door members are in the closed position, the one or more bars translating in a direction perpendicular to a length of the one or more bars when transitioning between the open position and the closed position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein:
the one or more door members include a first door member and a second door member;
the one or more bars include a first bar and a second bar, the first bar providing support to the first door member when in the closed position, the second bar providing support to the second door member when in the closed position; and
one or more cables linking movement of the first bar with movement of the second bar.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the actuation mechanism includes:
one or more pullies coupled with the one or more cables and configured to move the second bar away from the first bar when the motor moves the first bar into the open position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein:
the one or more bars are coupled with one or more cams to provide the vertical support to the one or more door members when in the closed position, the one or more contact points being disposed along a surface of the one or more cams, the one or more cams contacting the one or more door members at varying points of the one or more cams when the one or more cams move between the closed position and the open position, the support member including the one or more bars, the one or more cams sliding horizontally with the support member.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism includes:
the one or more door members closing the passage when in the closed position and opening the passage when in an open position, the one or more door members pivoting downward toward the carton-receiving area when opening to the open position; and
a cam including a contoured side that contacts the one or more door members at varying points as the one or more door members pivot between the open position and the closed position, the cam providing support to keep the one or more door members in the closed position, the cam being coupled to a top surface of the support member and moving horizontally with the support member.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first conveyor belt positioned adjacent to the item-consolidation area, the first conveyor belt transporting the one or more items to the item-consolidation area; and
a second conveyor belt positioned adjacent to the carton-receiving area, the carton-receiving area transporting the carton to the carton-receiving area.

### Claim 17

A computer-implemented method comprising:
transferring one or more items into an item-consolidation area of a transfer station;
transmitting, by one or more processors, a first actuation signal to an actuation mechanism of the transfer station to actuate into an open position, the actuation mechanism controlling movement of the one or more items from the item-consolidation area to a carton-receiving area of the transfer station including pivoting one or more doors at a passage between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area to the open position, the carton-receiving area holding a carton, the open position allowing the one or more items to move from the item-consolidation area to the carton-receiving area, pivoting the one or more doors to the open position including translating a support member horizontally, the support member providing vertical support to the one or more doors via one or more contact points coupled with the support member when the one or more doors are in a closed position, the one or more contact points contacting varying points of the one or more doors at varying angles of the one or more doors as the support member translates horizontally;
receiving, by the one or more processors, a confirmation message indicating that the one or more items have been transferred from the item-consolidation area to the carton-receiving area; and
transmitting, by the one or more processors, a second actuation signal to the actuation mechanism to actuate into the closed position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, a carton size for the carton;
transferring the carton having the determined carton size into the carton-receiving area of the transfer station; and
based on the confirmation message indicating that the one or more items have been transferred from the item-consolidation area to the carton-receiving area, transferring the carton out of the carton-receiving area of the transfer station.

### Claim 19

A system, comprising:
means for receiving one or more items;
means for receiving a carton;
means for transferring the one or more items from the means for receiving the one or more items into the carton including:
one or more door members at a passage between the means for receiving the one or more items and the means for receiving the carton, the one or more door members pivoting to close the passage and pivoting to open the passage, and
an actuation mechanism including a support member that provides vertical support to the one or more door members via one or more contact points coupled with the support member when the one or more door members are in a closed position, the support member translating horizontally, the one or more contact points contacting varying points of the one or more door members at varying angles of the one or more door members as the support member translates horizontally; and
means for transmitting a first actuation signal to the means for transferring the one or more items, the first actuation signal causing the one or more items to be transferred from the means for receiving the one or more items into the carton.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising:
means for transmitting a second actuation signal to the means for transferring the one or more items, the second actuation signal causing the means for transferring to move into the closed position, the closed position preventing movement of the one or more items into the carton from the means for receiving the one or more items.