US 12,227,381 B2
Method and apparatus for diverting and/or folding articles
Jef Jonckers, Hamme (BE); Manu Peelman, Hamme (BE); Tom Van Moer, Hamme (BE); Philip Corens, Hamme (BE); and Hilde Cloostermans, Hamme (BE)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Appl. No. 17/638,965
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/074520
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 28, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/043857, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19195296 (EP), filed on Sep. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0324671 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B65H 29/60 (2006.01); B65H 29/24 (2006.01); B65H 45/04 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 29/60 (2013.01) [B65H 45/04 (2013.01); B65H 2301/17 (2013.01); B65H 2301/4461 (2013.01); B65H 2406/1222 (2013.01); B65H 2511/13 (2013.01); B65H 2511/214 (2013.01); B65H 2513/10 (2013.01); B65H 2515/34 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for diverting and/or folding articles comprising an infeed conveyor, an outfeed conveyor, and a diverter, wherein:
the infeed conveyor is configured to convey articles along an infeed path towards an infeed exit, where the articles can exit the infeed path to an outfeed entry of an outfeed conveyor;
the outfeed conveyor is configured to convey the articles along an outfeed path from the outfeed entry, where articles can enter the outfeed path from the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor;
the infeed conveyor and outfeed conveyor are configured such that:
an angle between the infeed path and the outfeed path at the infeed exit and the outfeed entry is in the range of 30° up to and including 150°; and
the outfeed entry is positioned adjacent to the infeed path, such that articles can continue along the infeed path downstream of the infeed exit without entering the outfeed entry; and
the diverter is configured to divert an article from the infeed path to the outfeed entry of the outfeed conveyor by exhibiting a diverting force on an impact zone of the article at the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor,
wherein the diverter is a non-contact, fluid emitting diverter configured to emit a fluid jet to exhibit the diverting force on the impact zone of the article at a side of the article facing away from the outfeed entry; and
a brake assembly comprising a braking surface arranged:
along the infeed path downstream of the infeed exit of the infeed conveyor; and
along the infeed path downstream of the outfeed entry of the outfeed conveyor, and
wherein the braking surface is configured:
when the article is not diverted by the diverter, to allow the article to continue along the infeed path downstream of the infeed exit; and
when at least a part of the article is diverted by the fluid jet to contact at least a part of the article along the infeed path downstream of the outfeed entry, such that this part of the article is decelerated in a direction away from the infeed exit and/or accelerated in a direction towards the outfeed entry.