Automated sortation and dispensing system

An automated sortation and dispensing system (1000), comprising:

• a frame (100) including a top wall, a bottom wall, and sidewalls (1001) that collectively define a cavity (101) in which objects (109) are stacked, characterized in that the system (1000) comprises:
• a lever axis defined by a transverse rod (104) which is attached to the frame (100) in a lower portion of the cavity (101);
• a drive unit (103) having one end pivotally coupled to the transverse rod (104), and acting as a lever arm;
• a sorter (102) comprising a shaft (1021) extending upward from another end of the drive unit (103) to an upper portion of the cavity (101), an upper helical slot (1022) extending along an upper portion and a middle portion of the shaft (1021) and defined by one of a left-hand screw (1023) and a right-hand screw (1024), and a lower helical slot (1025) extending along a lower portion of the shaft (1021) and defined by another one of the left-hand screw (1023) and the right-hand screw (1024), a lower end of the sorter (102) rotatably coupled to and driven by the drive unit (103);
• and
• a shock absorber (105) being fixed to the frame (100) at the upper portion of the cavity (101), an upper end of the sorter (102) being engageable with the shock absorber (105);
• a first sliding member (120) slanting downward from one of the sidewalls (1001) to the lower portion of the sorter (102);
• a divider (108) connected to a lower end of the first sliding member (120), and located proximate to the lower portion of the sorter (102) in such a position that the divider (108) allows one of the objects (109) to pass through;
• a second sliding member (119) disposed below the first sliding member (120), and slanting downward from the lower portion of the sorter (102) to a pick-up port (107);
• and
• one or more sensor modules (106) mounted on the frame (100) proximate to the pick-up port (107) and in the vicinity of or on the second sliding member (119) for detecting a bottommost one of the objects (109) that passes through the second sliding member (119),
• when the drive unit (103) is activated, the drive unit (103) drives the sorter (102) to spin clockwise or anticlockwise about its axis and generate multidirectional forces to rearrange the objects (109), and at the same time carry the objects (109) down to the lower portion of the sorter (102) under gravity, the drive unit (103) is stopped after the bottommost one of the objects (109) is dispensed, and
• if a lateral force is exerted on the sorter (102) by the objects (114, 115, 116, 117), the drive unit (103) pivots downward about the lever axis, and the sorter (102) tilts sideways to absorb the lateral force by means of the shock absorber (105) and returns to its original position by a rebound force of the shock absorber (105) after the lateral force is released.