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US 12,741,819 B1Granted
Mechanism(s) for de-jamming packages within material handling equipment (MHE)
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsNivedita Ravi, Fernando Ruch, Moses Trevor Dardik, Kenneth Meszaros
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system including a one or more de-jamming mechanisms having a wedge configured to move from a retracted state to an extended state in which the wedge is at least partially disposed within a material handling equipment (MHE) in which packages are processed. The system receives data associated with the packages in the MHE, and causes, at a first instance in time, the wedge to move from the retracted state to the extended state, and causes, at a second instance in time, the wedge to move from the extended state to the retracted state.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a chute configured to divert packages from a first conveyor to a second conveyor, the chute including a first slot and a second slot;
- one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data associated with the packages in the chute;
- a first de-jamming mechanism including:
- a first wedge disposed at least partially within the first slot,
- a first arm coupled to the first wedge,
- a second arm hingedly coupled to the first arm, and
- a first actuator disposed between the first arm and the second arm, the first actuator configured to extend the first wedge into the chute and retract the first wedge from within the chute;
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
- receiving the sensor data associated with the packages in the chute,
- determining, based on the sensor data, that the packages are jammed within the chute, and
- based on the packages being jammed within the chute, causing the first actuator to extend the first wedge into the chute at a first instance in time.
10 more elements
A system comprising:
- a de-jamming mechanism including a body configured to move from a retracted state to an extended state in which the body is at least partially disposed within a material handling equipment (MHE) in which packages are processed, the de-jamming mechanism including:
- a first arm coupled to the body,
- a second arm hingedly coupled to the first arm, and
- a first actuator disposed between the first arm and the second arm;
- and
- one or more processors;
- and
- one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
- receiving data associated with the packages in the MHE;
- causing, at a first instance in time, the body to move from the retracted state to the extended state, and
- causing, at a second instance in time that is at least partially after the first instance in time, the body to move from the extended state to the retracted state.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving data associated with one or more packages in a material handling equipment (MHE);
- causing, based at least in part on the data, an actuator of a de-jamming mechanism to actuate in a first direction such that the actuator moves a body of the de-jamming mechanism from a first position in which the body is disposed external to the MHE, to a second position in which the body is at least partially disposed within the MHE;
- and
- causing the actuator of the de-jamming mechanism to actuate in a second direction such that the actuator moves the body of the de-jamming mechanism from the second position to the first position,
- wherein the de-jamming mechanism includes a first arm coupled to the body, a second arm hingedly coupled to the first arm, and the actuator disposed between the first arm and the second arm.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.