Systems and methods for assisting in object grasping from containers in object processing systems
AssigneeBerkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc.
InventorsBretton Anderson, John Richard Amend, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A container jostling system for jostling objects within a container is disclosed, where the container is positioned on a conveyor that includes a plurality of rollers that are mutually spaced from one another. The container jostling system includes at least one container contact element that is movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor, and is movable horizontally in a direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers.
Claims36
A container jostling system for jostling objects within a container, comprising:
- a conveyor that includes a plurality of rollers that are mutually spaced from one another;
- at least one container contact element that is movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor and movable horizontally in a direction that is substantially parallel with the at least two rollers;
- and
- at least one hard stop disposed along a side of the conveyor,
- wherein the at least one container contact element lifts and laterally shifts a container containing objects moving on the conveyor such that the container impacts the at least one hard stop, and wherein the impact of the container against the at least one hard stop causes the objects within the container to shift therein.
An object processing system comprising:
- a conveyor that includes a plurality of rollers that are mutually spaced from one another;
- a programmable motion device for accessing objects within a container on the conveyor;
- at least one container contact element that is movable vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor;
- an actuator for moving the at least one container contact element in a direction that is substantially transverse with the direction of vertical movement;
- and
- at least one hard stop disposed along a side of the conveyor,
- wherein the at least one container contact element lifts and laterally shifts the container moving on the conveyor against the at least one hard stop, thereby causing the objects to shift within the container prior to the programmable motion device accessing any of the objects within the container.
A method of jostling at least one object in a container on a conveyor, said method comprising:
- moving at least one container contact element vertically between at least two rollers of the conveyor;
- actuating an actuator to move the at least one contact element in a direction that is substantially transverse with the direction of vertical movement such that the at least one contact element lifts and laterally shifts a container moving on the conveyor against at least one hard stop disposed along a side of the conveyor, thereby causing objects within the container to shift therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.