# US 12,110,181 B1 · Item retrieval system

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- Number: US 12,110,181 B1
- Document ID: US12110181B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/398,721
- Filed: 2021-08-10
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-10
- Assignees: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: William Scott Kalm; Matthew Roy Gardner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110181B1

## CPC

- B65G 1/127: the circuit being confined in a vertical plane
- B65G 1/133: the circuit being confined in a horizontal plane
- B65G 35/06: comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path (effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32)
- B65G 35/08: comprising trains of unconnected load-carriers, e.g. belt sections, movable in a path, e.g. a closed path, adapted to contact each other and to be propelled by means arranged to engage each load-carrier in turn
- B60P 3/007: {for delivery of small articles, e.g. milk, frozen articles}
- B65G 1/0478: {for matrix-arrangements}
- B65G 1/0485: {Check-in, check-out devices}
- B65G 2201/0285: Postal items, e.g. letters, parcels
- 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)
- B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00)

## Abstract

An item retrieval system can include a support defining a continuous pathway having an upper level, a lower level, and an end portion connecting the upper and lower portions. An advancement mechanism can move a carrier having a container advanced along the continuous pathway between the upper and lower levels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An item retrieval system positionable in a trailer, the item retrieval system comprising:
a carrier comprising one or more receiving areas for receiving an item container;
a support defining a continuous pathway configured to support the carrier, the continuous pathway comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and a curved end portion coupling the upper and lower portions; and
an advancement mechanism coupled with the support and comprising a rotatable disk and an extendable arm coupled with the rotatable disk, the rotatable disk comprising one or more notches and configured to rotate to cause both engagement of the extendable arm with a first portion of the carrier and receipt of a second portion of the carrier by at least one notch of the one or more notches to advance the carrier along the continuous pathway to move the carrier between the upper and lower portions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The item retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a guide pin positionable in the continuous pathway, the guide pin remaining in the continuous pathway when the carrier is moved between the upper and lower portions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The item retrieval system of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the carrier received by the at least one notch is the guide pin of the carrier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The item retrieval system of claim 1, wherein rotation of the rotatable disk causes a proximal end of the extendable arm to move along a track to extend the extendable arm in a direction away from an edge of the rotatable disk to engage a distal end of the extendable arm with the first portion of the carrier.

### Claim 5

An item retrieval system, comprising:
a support defining a continuous pathway comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and a curved end portion coupling the upper and lower portions; and
an advancement mechanism comprising a rotatable disk and an extendable arm coupled with the rotatable disk, the rotatable disk comprising one or more notches and configured to rotate to cause both engagement of a distal end of the extendable arm with a first portion of a carrier and receipt of a second portion of the carrier by at least one notch of the one or more notches, the second portion of the carrier positioned in a container receiving area of the continuous pathway for receiving an inventory container containing inventory items, the extendable arm configured to advance the carrier along the continuous pathway to move the carrier between the upper and lower portions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The item retrieval system of claim 5, wherein the support comprises a plurality of continuous pathways, each of the plurality of continuous pathways comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and a curved end portion coupling the upper and lower portions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The item retrieval system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of continuous pathways are configured to support a plurality of carriers, the plurality of carriers moveable along each of the continuous pathways between the upper and lower portions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The item retrieval system of claim 5, wherein the advancement mechanism further comprises an extension track engaged with a proximal end of the extendable arm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The item retrieval system of claim 8, wherein rotation of the rotatable disk causes the proximal end of the extendable arm to move along the extension track to extend the extendable arm to engage the distal end of the extendable arm with the first portion of the carrier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The item retrieval system of claim 5, wherein the continuous pathway is further configured to receive a guide pin of the carrier, the guide pin remaining in the continuous pathway when the carrier is moved between the upper and lower portions of the continuous pathway.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The item retrieval system of claim 10, wherein the second portion of the carrier received by the at least one notch is the guide pin of the carrier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The item retrieval system of claim 5, wherein the advancement mechanism is a first advancement mechanism positioned at a fore position of the support and the item retrieval system further comprises a second advancement mechanism positioned at an aft position of the support.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The item retrieval system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of carriers positioned such that the carriers fill the upper and lower portions of the continuous pathway and such that moving an end-most carrier with the first advancement mechanism positions another carrier in position for engagement by the second advancement mechanism.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The item retrieval system of claim 13, wherein moving a carrier of the plurality of carriers from the upper portion to the lower portion causes movement of containers on the lower portion, and wherein movement of a carrier of the plurality of carriers from the lower portion to the upper portion causes movement of containers on the upper portion.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
rotating an advancement mechanism to a first position, the advancement mechanism positioned relative to a guide forming a movement path for a carrier positioned on the guide, the carrier comprising containers having inventory items;
extending, in response to the rotating of the advancement mechanism to the first position, an arm of the advancement mechanism to be positioned for engagement with the carrier, the advancement mechanism comprising a disk and the arm coupled with the disk;
engaging the arm with a first portion of the carrier while receiving a second portion of the carrier in a notch of the disk; and
with the arm engaged with the first portion of the carrier, rotating the advancement mechanism to a second position, the notch supporting the second portion of the carrier and the rotating of the arm causing the carrier to advance along the movement path.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the carrier is moved between an upper portion of the guide to a lower portion of the guide via a curved end portion extending between the upper portion of the guide and the lower portion of the guide.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising pausing rotation of the arm at a position for removal of at least one of:
an inventory item from a container; or
a container from the carrier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the second portion of the carrier received in the notch of the disk is a guide pin.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the advancement mechanism further comprises a hub containing an asymmetrical track and wherein extending the arm comprises advancing a proximal end of the arm along the asymmetrical track in the hub from a first portion of the asymmetrical track to a second portion of the asymmetrical track.