US 11,731,843 B1
Conveyance constraint
Rajeev Dwivedi, Sammamish, WA (US); Ganesh Krishnamoorthy, Seattle, WA (US); and Michael Alan Bray, Elkhorn, NE (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Jan. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/574,145.
Int. Cl. B65G 47/76 (2006.01); B65G 21/20 (2006.01); B07B 13/04 (2006.01); B65G 47/82 (2006.01); B65G 47/88 (2006.01); B07B 13/00 (2006.01); B07C 1/14 (2006.01); B65G 21/08 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/766 (2013.01) [B07B 13/003 (2013.01); B07B 13/04 (2013.01); B07C 1/14 (2013.01); B65G 21/2063 (2013.01); B65G 47/82 (2013.01); B65G 47/8838 (2013.01); B65G 21/08 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0208 (2013.01); B65G 2205/02 (2013.01); B65G 2207/08 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A conveyance system, comprising:
a plurality of containers, each of the plurality of containers defining a container length, a container height, and a container width of that respective container; and
a conveyance device positionable in a warehouse environment, the conveyance device comprising:
a chassis;
a conveyance surface coupled with the chassis and comprising a low friction material, the conveyance surface configured to support a received container from the plurality of containers, the received container arranged with the container length being oriented along a direction of travel;
a motor coupled with the chassis and configured to advance the conveyance surface to transport the received container from a first end of the conveyance device to a second end of the conveyance device along the direction of travel;
a conveyance constraint coupled with the chassis and defining an opening having an opening height and an opening width, the conveyance constraint configured to (i) allow containers of the plurality of containers having a container height and a container width that are less than the respective opening height and opening width of the opening to advance through the opening and (ii) block containers of the plurality of containers having a container height or a container width greater than the respective opening height or opening width of the opening from advancing through the opening;
a first sensor set comprising at least one first sensor configured to detect when a container has been blocked by the conveyance constraint along the opening height;
a first actuator set comprising at least one first actuator configured to move at least a first portion of the conveyance constraint to change the opening height;
a second sensor set comprising at least one second sensor configured to detect when a container has been blocked by the conveyance constraint along the opening width: and
a second actuator set comprising at least one second actuator configured to move at least a second portion of the conveyance constraint to change the opening width.