Merry-go-round storage conveyor system

A conveyor system comprising:

• a plurality of nested conveyors, wherein each of the plurality of nested conveyors comprises a circular disk that is concentric around a central axis, wherein the circular disk comprises a plurality of segments that are each configured to hold at least one item on a top surface, wherein the top surface of each of the plurality of segments in each of the plurality of nested conveyors is textured;
• a chute along at least one radial axis that is orthogonal to the central axis, wherein each of the plurality of nested conveyors is configured to rotate around the central axis, such that each of the plurality of segments in the circular disk of each of the plurality of nested conveyors is rotatable into the chute;
• a chute mechanism configured to radially move items, along the radial axis, across the top surfaces of all of the plurality of segments that are in the chute;
• and
• at least one hardware processor configured to,
• receive a list of one or more items stowed on the plurality of nested conveyors,
• for each item in the list, rotate a segment that is holding that item into the chute, and
• control the chute mechanism to, in a single operation, move all items that are held by segments in the chute out of the chute.

A method comprising using at least one hardware processor, within a conveyor system that comprises a plurality of nested conveyors, each of the plurality of nested conveyors comprising a circular disk that is concentric around a central axis, the circular disk comprising a plurality of segments that are each configured to hold at least one item on a top surface, a stationary circumferential wall between each adjacent pair of the plurality of nested conveyors, wherein each circumferential wall comprises a gap along the radial axis, a chute along at least one radial axis that is orthogonal to the central axis, each of the plurality of nested conveyors configured to rotate around the central axis, such that each of the plurality of segments in the circular disk of each of the plurality of nested conveyors is rotatable into the chute, and a chute mechanism configured to radially move items, along the radial axis, across the top surfaces of all of the plurality of segments that are in the chute, to:

• receive a list of one or more of the items stowed on the plurality of nested conveyors;
• for each of the one or more items in the list, rotate a segment that is holding that item into the chute;
• and
• control the chute mechanism to, in a single operation, move all items that are held by segments in the chute out of the chute.

A conveyor system comprising:

• a plurality of parallel linear conveyors, wherein each of the plurality of parallel linear conveyors comprises a plurality of segments along a longitudinal axis of that parallel linear conveyor, and wherein each of the plurality of segments is configured to hold at least one item on a top surface;
• one or more chutes along an orthogonal axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of parallel linear conveyors, wherein each of the plurality of parallel linear conveyors is configured to move along the respective longitudinal axis, such that each of the plurality of segments of the parallel linear conveyor is movable into at least one of the one or more chutes;
• a stationary circumferential wall between each adjacent pair of the plurality of parallel linear conveyors, wherein each circumferential wall comprises a gap along the orthogonal axis of each of the one or more chutes;
• a chute mechanism configured to orthogonally move items, along the orthogonal axis, across the top surfaces of all of the plurality of segments that are in the at least one chute;
• and
• at least one hardware processor configured to,
• receive a list of one or more items stowed on the plurality of parallel linear conveyors,
• for each of the one or more items in the list, move a segment that is holding that item into the chute, and
• control the chute mechanism to, in a single operation, move all items that are held by segments in the chute out of the chute.