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US 12,227,381 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for diverting and/or folding articles
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJef Jonckers, Manu Peelman, Tom Van Moer, Philip Corens, Hilde Cloostermans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for diverting and/or folding articles includes an infeed conveyor, an outfeed conveyor, and a diverter. The diverter is a non-contact, fluid emitting diverter, configured to emit a fluid jet to exhibit the diverting force on the impact zone of the article at a side of the article facing away from the outfeed entry. An angle of the average direction of the diverting force of the fluid jet with the outfeed path at the outfeed entry is in the range of 5° to 85°.
Claims20
An apparatus for diverting and/or folding articles comprising an infeed conveyor, an outfeed conveyor, and a diverter, wherein:
- the infeed conveyor is configured to convey articles along an infeed path towards an infeed exit, where the articles can exit the infeed path to an outfeed entry of an outfeed conveyor;
- the outfeed conveyor is configured to convey the articles along an outfeed path from the outfeed entry, where articles can enter the outfeed path from the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor;
- the infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor are configured such that:
- an angle between the infeed path and the outfeed path at the infeed exit and the outfeed entry is in the range of 30° up to and including 150°;
- and
- the outfeed entry is positioned adjacent to the infeed path, such that articles can continue along the infeed path downstream of the infeed exit without entering the outfeed entry;
- and
- the diverter is configured to divert an article from the infeed path to the outfeed entry of the outfeed conveyor by exhibiting a diverting force on an impact zone of the article at the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor,
- wherein the diverter is a non-contact, fluid emitting diverter configured to emit a fluid jet to exhibit the diverting force on the impact zone of the article at a side of the article facing away from the outfeed entry;
- and
- a brake assembly comprising a braking surface arranged:
- along the infeed path downstream of the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor;
- and
- along the infeed path downstream of the outfeed entry of the outfeed conveyor, and
- wherein the braking surface is configured:
- when the article is not diverted by the diverter, to allow the article to continue along the infeed path downstream of the infeed exit;
- and
- when at least a part of the article is diverted by the fluid jet to contact at least a part of the article along the infeed path downstream of the outfeed entry, such that this part of the article is decelerated in a direction away from the infeed exit and/or accelerated in a direction towards the outfeed entry.
15 more elements
An apparatus for diverting and/or folding articles comprising an infeed conveyor, an outfeed conveyor, and a diverter, wherein:
- the infeed conveyor is configured to convey articles along an infeed path towards an infeed exit, where the articles can exit the infeed path to an outfeed entry of an outfeed conveyor;
- the outfeed conveyor is configured to convey the articles along an outfeed path from the outfeed entry, where articles can enter the outfeed path from the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor;
- the infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor are configured such that:
- an angle between the infeed path and the outfeed path at the infeed exit and the outfeed entry is in the range of 30° up to and including 150°;
- and
- the outfeed entry is positioned adjacent to the infeed path, such that articles can continue along the infeed path downstream of the infeed exit without entering the outfeed entry;
- the diverter is configured to divert an article from the infeed path to the outfeed entry of the outfeed conveyor by exhibiting a diverting force on an impact zone of the article at the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor,
- wherein the diverter is a non-contact, fluid emitting diverter, configured to emit a fluid jet to exhibit the diverting force on the impact zone of the article at a side of the article facing away from the outfeed entry, and
- a guide assembly comprising a guide surface arranged at the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor and/or the outfeed entry of the outfeed conveyor,
- wherein the guide surface is configured, when at least a part of the article is diverted by the fluid jet, to guide the side of the article facing away from the fluid jet during at least part of the transition from the infeed path to the outfeed path, thereby determining a predetermined maximum distance traveled by the fluid jet along the average direction of the diverting force of the fluid jet, and
- wherein the infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor comprise a common pulley arranged at the infeed exit and the outfeed entry, the guide assembly comprising the common pulley which determines the guide surface.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.