Gantry system for enabling bin movement in a delivery vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsYifan Chen, Kurt Michael Lundeen, Sam Hoff, Smruti Panigrahi, Kevin Hwang, Timothy Mark Feldkamp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A delivery vehicle having a base and a bin engagement unit is disclosed. The base may be configured to secure a plurality of bins. Each bin may include a plurality of sidewalls, and each sidewall may include an interior surface and an exterior surface. The bin engagement unit may be configured to move in a two-dimensional (2D) space in proximity to the base. The bin engagement unit may be configured to engage with the interior surface of a bin, from the plurality of bins, and slide the bin on the base when the bin engagement unit engages with the interior surface.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a base configured to secure a plurality of bins, wherein:
- each bin comprises a plurality of sidewalls, and
- each sidewall comprises an interior surface and an exterior surface;
- and
- a bin engagement unit configured to move in a two-dimensional (2D) space in proximity to the base, wherein the bin engagement unit is configured to engage with the interior surface of a bin, from the plurality of bins, and slide the bin on the base when the bin engagement unit engages with the interior surface.
A method to enable bin movement on a base configured to secure a plurality of bins, the method comprising:
- obtaining, by a processor, a trigger signal;
- causing, by the processor, a bin engagement unit to move in proximity to an interior surface of a bin of the plurality of bins responsive to obtaining the trigger signal, wherein:
- each bin comprises a plurality of sidewalls,
- each sidewall comprises the interior surface and an exterior surface,
- the bin engagement unit is configured to move in a two-dimensional (2D) space in proximity to the base, and
- the bin engagement unit is configured to engage with the interior surface of the bin and slide the bin on the base when the bin engagement unit engages with the interior surface;
- causing, by the processor, the bin engagement unit to engage with the interior surface responsive to moving in proximity to the interior surface;
- and
- causing, by the processor, the bin engagement unit to slide the bin on the base responsive to engaging with the interior surface.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
- obtain a trigger signal;
- cause a bin engagement unit to move in proximity to an interior surface of a bin from a plurality of bins secured on a base responsive to obtaining the trigger signal, wherein:
- each bin comprises a plurality of sidewalls,
- each sidewall comprises the interior surface and an exterior surface,
- the bin engagement unit is configured to move in a two-dimensional (2D) space in proximity to the base, and
- the bin engagement unit is configured to engage with the interior surface of the bin and slide the bin on the base when the bin engagement unit engages with the interior surface;
- cause the bin engagement unit to engage with the interior surface responsive to moving in proximity to the interior surface;
- and
- cause the bin engagement unit to slide the bin on the base responsive to engaging with the interior surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.