×

System and method for storing and sequencing luggage items

  • US 10,643,294 B2
  • Filed: 01/13/2016
  • Issued: 05/05/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for storing and sequencing a plurality of luggage items, said method including:

  • receiving at least one of the luggage items into a loading area from an entrance conveyor disposed in the loading area;

    moving the luggage item with a loading assembly from the entrance conveyor onto one of a plurality of shelves of a container positioned on a carrier automatic guided vehicle;

    providing instructions to the carrier automatic guided vehicle from the control system to transport the container from the loading area to a storage area, and transporting the container from the loading area to the storage area with the carrier automatic guided vehicle with the luggage item disposed on the shelf of the container;

    storing the luggage item in the storage area with the luggage item positioned on the container;

    providing instructions to the carrier automatic guided vehicle from the control system to transport the container from the storage area to an unloading area, and transporting the container from the storage area to the unloading area with the carrier automatic guided vehicle with the received luggage item disposed on the shelf of the container;

    moving the luggage item from the shelf of the container to an exit conveyor disposed in the unloading area with an unloading assembly;

    wherein the loading assembly includes a plurality of platform conveyors disposed in vertically stacked relationship with one another with each of the platform conveyors disposed at the same height as one of the shelves of the container, a loading conveyor extending from the entrance conveyor and pivotable relative to the entrance conveyor for being aligned with one of the platform conveyors, and a plurality of first pushing devices each disposed at the same height as one of the platform conveyors;

    said method further includes pivoting the loading conveyor into alignment with a selected one of the platform conveyors;

    moving the luggage item from the entrance conveyor to the selected first platform conveyor with the loading conveyor; and

    pushing the luggage item from the selected first platform conveyor onto a selected one of the shelves of the container with the pushing device.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×