Vehicle systems and methods to support the distribution of products
First Claim
1. A vehicle system, comprising:
- a housing;
a wheel system comprising at least one axle extending between at least two wheels positioned on opposite sides of the housing and supporting the housing;
a mobile product distribution system comprising;
a product movement system maintained within the housing;
a pallet transport system;
multiple bay doors formed in the housing and with which inbound vehicles and outbound vehicles align while products are distributed from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles; and
a control circuit cooperated with the housing and configured to;
estimate arrival times of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles based on respective distances the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are from a temporary distribution location of multiple different temporary distribution locations, historical travel times, and other stops a correspond one of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are scheduled to make;
receive identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors;
generate a distribution plan identifying a number of each product to be moved from each of the inbound vehicles and a number of each product to be moved into each of the outbound vehicles based on the estimated arrival times and the identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors; and
determine product distribution routing to be applied by at least by the product movement system based on the distribution plan;
wherein the product movement system extends between the multiple bay doors and the control circuit directs the control of the product movement system to cause the transport of the products by the product movement system from each of the inbound vehicles, through the housing and to at least one of the outbound vehicles;
wherein the product movement system comprises a conveyor system extending through the housing, wherein the conveyor system comprising multiple conveyors over which at least some of the products are supported as the products are moved along at least a first conveyor of the multiple conveyors comprises an array of rollers that allow products to roll along a length of the at least one conveyor and provides at least a portion of a conveyor path between two bay doors and along which products are rolled along the array of rollers and transported from a first inbound vehicle of the inbound vehicles to a first outbound vehicle of the outbound vehicles; and
wherein the first conveyor is retractable and movable to be moved away from a first bay door to open space of the floor of the housing between at least the first bay door and a second bay door to enable movement of the pallet transport system to cooperate with and transport at least a pallet loaded with products from the first inbound vehicle to the first outbound vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments provide vehicle systems comprising: a housing; a wheel system comprising at least one axle extending between at least two wheels positioned on opposite sides of the housing and supporting the housing; a mobile product distribution system comprising: a product movement system maintained within the housing; and multiple bay doors formed in the housing and with which inbound vehicles and outbound vehicles align while products are distributed from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles; wherein the product movement system extends between the multiple bay doors and is configured to transport the products from each of the inbound vehicles, through the housing and to at least one of the outbound vehicles.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A vehicle system, comprising:
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a housing; a wheel system comprising at least one axle extending between at least two wheels positioned on opposite sides of the housing and supporting the housing; a mobile product distribution system comprising; a product movement system maintained within the housing; a pallet transport system; multiple bay doors formed in the housing and with which inbound vehicles and outbound vehicles align while products are distributed from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles; and a control circuit cooperated with the housing and configured to;
estimate arrival times of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles based on respective distances the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are from a temporary distribution location of multiple different temporary distribution locations, historical travel times, and other stops a correspond one of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are scheduled to make;
receive identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors;
generate a distribution plan identifying a number of each product to be moved from each of the inbound vehicles and a number of each product to be moved into each of the outbound vehicles based on the estimated arrival times and the identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors; and
determine product distribution routing to be applied by at least by the product movement system based on the distribution plan;wherein the product movement system extends between the multiple bay doors and the control circuit directs the control of the product movement system to cause the transport of the products by the product movement system from each of the inbound vehicles, through the housing and to at least one of the outbound vehicles; wherein the product movement system comprises a conveyor system extending through the housing, wherein the conveyor system comprising multiple conveyors over which at least some of the products are supported as the products are moved along at least a first conveyor of the multiple conveyors comprises an array of rollers that allow products to roll along a length of the at least one conveyor and provides at least a portion of a conveyor path between two bay doors and along which products are rolled along the array of rollers and transported from a first inbound vehicle of the inbound vehicles to a first outbound vehicle of the outbound vehicles; and wherein the first conveyor is retractable and movable to be moved away from a first bay door to open space of the floor of the housing between at least the first bay door and a second bay door to enable movement of the pallet transport system to cooperate with and transport at least a pallet loaded with products from the first inbound vehicle to the first outbound vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of distributing products between vehicles, comprising:
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causing a mobile product distribution system to be transported via a wheel system of the mobile product distribution system to a selected first temporary distribution location; providing each of multiple inbound vehicles and multiple outbound vehicles with access to align with one of multiple bay doors formed in a housing of the mobile product distribution system and with which inbound vehicles and outbound vehicles align; estimating arrival times of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles based on respective distances the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are from a temporary distribution location of multiple different temporary distribution locations, historical travel times, and other stops a correspond one of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles are scheduled to make; receiving, at a control circuit of the mobile product distribution system cooperated with the housing, identifiers of each of the multiple inbound vehicles and the multiple outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors; generating, through the control circuit, a distribution plan identifying a number of each product to be moved from each of the multiple inbound vehicles aligned with one of the bay doors and a number of each product to be moved into each of the multiple outbound vehicles aligned with one of the bay doors based on the estimated arrival times and the identifiers of each of the inbound vehicles and the outbound vehicles currently aligned with one of the multiple bay doors; distributing products from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles while aligned with one of the multiple bay doors directing the control of the product movement system causing the transporting of the products through the housing by a product movement system within the housing and extending between the multiple bay doors from each of the inbound vehicles to at least one of the outbound vehicles wherein the product movement system comprises a conveyor system extending through the housing and comprising multiple conveyors over which at least some of the products are supported as the products are moved along at least a first conveyor of the multiple conveyors comprising an array of rollers that allow products to roll along a length of the at least one conveyor and provides at least a portion of a conveyor path between two bay doors and along which products are rolled along the array of rollers and transported from a first inbound vehicle of the inbound vehicles to a first outbound vehicle of the outbound vehicles; and causing the first conveyor to be retracted and moved away from a first bay door to open space of the floor of the housing between at least the first bay door and a second bay door to enable movement of a pallet transport system to cooperate with and transport at least a pallet loaded with products from the first inbound vehicle to the first outbound vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification