Docking station
First Claim
1. A docking station for receiving various types of containers to be loaded with trays, said docking station comprising:
- a support surface having wheel-retaining recesses adapted to receive the wheels of a container and resist movement of the container away from said docking station;
a plurality of guide members mounted to said support surface and adapted to guide the wheels of a container into said wheel-retaining recesses;
a container presence sensor adapted to identify the presence of a container positioned within the docking station; and
a container type sensor adapted to identify the type of container positioned within the docking station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A docking station for a robotic mail tray loading system includes a ground plate that is mounted to the floor of the building in which the robotic mail tray loading system is housed. The ground plate has first and second wheel-retaining recesses that preferably include ramped surfaces to accommodate wheels of mail carts. A plurality of guide plates are positioned to locate one pallet or two mail carts in the docking station at a time. The docking station also includes a plurality of sensors that sense the presence or absence of a pallet or cart in the docking station and that sense the type of cart present at the cart docking station.
55 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A docking station for receiving various types of containers to be loaded with trays, said docking station comprising:
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a support surface having wheel-retaining recesses adapted to receive the wheels of a container and resist movement of the container away from said docking station;
a plurality of guide members mounted to said support surface and adapted to guide the wheels of a container into said wheel-retaining recesses;
a container presence sensor adapted to identify the presence of a container positioned within the docking station; and
a container type sensor adapted to identify the type of container positioned within the docking station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A docking station comprising:
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a ground plate having first and second wheel-retaining recesses;
first and second pallet guide members adapted to position a pallet in said docking station at a known location;
a first pair of wheel guide members spaced from said first wheel-retaining recess such that when one wheel of a cart is disposed between said first pair of wheel guide members, another wheel of the cart is disposed within said first wheel retaining recess; and
a second pair of wheel guide members spaced from said second wheel-retaining recess such that when one wheel of a cart is disposed between said second pair of wheel guide members, another wheel of the cart is disposed within said second wheel retaining recess. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A docking station for receiving pallets and carts for loading, said docking station comprising:
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a pallet sensor adapted to sense whether a pallet is disposed within said docking station;
a cart presence sensor adapted to sense whether a cart is present within said docking station; and
a cart type sensor adapted to sense the type of cart that is present within said docking station. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A docking station for receiving various types of containers to be loaded with trays, said docking station comprising:
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a support surface having at least one wheel-retaining recess adapted to receive at least one wheel of a container and to resist movement of the container away from said docking station;
at least one guide member mounted to said support surface and adapted to guide at least one wheel of a container into said at least one wheel-retaining recess; and
at least one container sensor adapted to sense at least one of the group of the presence of a container positioned within the docking station, the type of container positioned within the docking station, and both the presence and type of a container within the docking station.
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18. A robotic system comprising:
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a controller;
a robot linked to the controller and having an end effector with a sensor; and
at least one cart docking station, the cart docking station including a plate with at least one wheel well, and at least one container sensor operable to be coupled in data communication relation to the controller, wherein the controller uses information from the end effector sensor, and the at least one container sensor to determine the presence of and type of container in the cart docking station.
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19. A cart docking station comprising:
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a plate having at least one pallet bracket, at least one wheel well, and a conduit cover positioned adjacent to the plate; and
at least one container sensor coupled to the plate.
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20. A cart docking station comprising:
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a ground plate having at least one pallet bracket, a chute-guided-wheel well, and an unguided wheel well, adjacent the chute-guided wheel well;
a conduit cover positioned adjacent to the ground plate;
at least one sensor supported by the conduit cover; and
at least one cart detection sensor located adjacent to one of said chute guided or unguided wheel wells. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A cart docking station, the cart docking station comprising:
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a ground plate, the ground plate having a first portion with a fixed bracket, a chute-guided wheel well, an unguided wheel well, and at least two container detection sensors, the ground plate also having a second portion with a movable bracket, a chute-guided wheel well, an unguided wheel well, and two container detection sensors, each detection sensor having a communication cable;
a pallet sensor having a communication cable and positioned between the fixed and movable brackets; and
a conduit positioned adjacent the ground plate and having an interior portion through which at least a portion of the each communication cable from each of the container detection sensors and the pallet sensor is routed. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A robotic system comprising:
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a controller;
a robot linked to the controller and having an end effector with a sensor; and
at least one cart docking station, the cart docking station including a ground plate with a plurality of wheel wells and a plurality of pallet brackets, a first type of container sensor positioned between the pallet brackets, the first type of container sensor coupled in data communication relation to the controller, and at least one of a second type of container sensor positioned adjacent at least one of the plurality of wheel wells, the at least one of a second type of container sensor coupled in data communication relation to the controller, wherein the controller uses information from the end effector sensor, the first type of container sensor, and the second type of container sensor to determine the presence of and type of container in the cart docking station.
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34. A method of detecting the presence of a container, the method comprising:
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providing a cart docking station with a plurality of fixtures for positioning containers at predetermined locations;
aligning a plurality of sensors with the plurality of fixtures; and
processing the output of the plurality of sensors to determine the type of container present at the cart docking station.
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Specification