Singulators with ports for diverting items

• US 9,694,393 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mueller, Harald, Smarzinski, Louis George, Turnbull, Glenn, Grace, Jason Dean, Brazeal, Jeffery Lynn, Mills, Michael Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/331,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20170036866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 209680
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/04 according to size
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/05 using material mover cooperating with retainer, deflector or discharger B07B13/065 - B07B13/075 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/075 Apparatus comprising moving article - receiving openings, the size of which varies as they move
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/30 during transit by a series of conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/34 Devices for discharging articles or materials from conveyor B65G47/256 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/46 and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points in tube mail systems B65G51/36

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a singulator that has a port for diverting items. An item is received on at least one conveyor segment of a singulator. The item is transported using at least one conveyor segment to a side wall of the singulator. The item is transported using at least one conveyor segment through a port in the side wall of the singulator.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a singulator that comprises;

a side wall having a port that forms an opening in the side wall, the port having a vertical height based at least in part on a thickness of a packaged product;

a guard that covers a portion of the port in the side wall; and

at least one conveyor segment configured to;

receive the packaged product;

transport the packaged product to be positioned against the side wall by at least forcing the packaged product along at least a first portion of the at least one conveyor segment;

transport the packaged product along the side wall to the port; and

transport the packaged product through the port; and

wherein the thickness of the packaged product can interfere with an operation of a second portion of the at least one conveyor segment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the port comprises a first port and the vertical height comprises a first vertical height, and wherein the side wall further comprises a second port after the first port, the second port having a second vertical height greater than the first vertical height.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the guard comprises a door that covers the port.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a container configured to receive the packaged product after the packaged product is transported through the port in the side wall.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one conveyor segment comprising a plurality of rollers having a plurality of axes that are skewed relative to the side wall.

6. A system, comprising:

a singulator that comprises;

a side wall having a slot that forms an opening in the side wall, the slot having a vertical height based at least in part on a thickness of a packaged product;

a guard that covers a portion of the slot in the side wall and restricts access to the singulator through the slot; and

at least one conveyor segment configured to;

transport the packaged product along a first portion of the at least one conveyor segment; and

transport the packaged product through the slot in the side wall;

a container configured to receive the packaged product after the packaged product is transported through the slot in the side wall; and

wherein the thickness of the packaged product can interfere with an operation of a second portion of the at least one conveyor segment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the packaged product comprises a first packaged product, and the at least one conveyor segment is further configured to:

transport a second packaged product along the first portion of the at least one conveyor; and

transport the second packaged product along the side wall past the slot to an end of the at least one conveyor segment.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a conveyor path positioned proximate to the end of the at least one conveyor segment, the conveyor path being configured to:

receive the second packaged product from the singulator; and

transport the second packaged product to a scanning station.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the guard comprises at least one of a door or a flap that covers the slot that forms the opening in the side wall.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one conveyor segment comprises a plurality of axes that are skewed relative to the side wall.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the singulator further comprises a reinforcement panel that is attached to the side wall.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein a bottom edge of the slot in the side wall is substantially level with a top surface of a plurality of driven rollers of the at least one conveyor segment.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the singulator is configured to align the packaged product with a plurality of additional packaged products in a single row.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving a packaged product on at least one conveyor segment of a singulator;

transporting the packaged product to a side wall of the singulator by at least forcing the packaged product along at least a first portion of the at least one conveyor segment; and

transporting, using the at least one conveyor segment, the packaged product through a slot that forms an opening in the side wall, the slot having a vertical height based at least in part on a thickness of the packaged product, the slot having a guard that covers a portion of the slot in the side wall and restricts access to the singulator through the slot, wherein the thickness of the packaged product can interfere with an operation of a second portion of the at least one conveyor segment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the packaged product comprises a first packaged product, and the method further comprises:

transporting a second packaged product along the first portion of the at least one conveyor segment; and

transporting the second packaged product along the side wall past the slot to an end of the at least one conveyor segment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the end of the at least one conveyor segment comprises a scanning station.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising scanning, via the scanning station, at least one tag associated with the second packaged product, the at least one tag comprising at least one of a bar code, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, or a near field communication (NFC) tag.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the guard comprises a flap that covers the slot that forms the opening in the side wall.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving the packaged product onto another conveyor segment that is located below the slot in the side wall of the singulator.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein a container is positioned adjacent to the slot, the container configured to receive the packaged product after the packaged product is transported through the slot in the side wall.