US 12,233,438 B2
Robotic system having shuttle
Simon Kalouche, San Francisco, CA (US); and Kevin Kruempelstaedter, Edina, MN (US)
Assigned to Nimble Robotics, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Nimble Robotics, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/514,538.
Application 18/514,538 is a continuation of application No. 17/723,960, filed on Apr. 19, 2022, granted, now 11,850,633.
Application 17/723,960 is a continuation of application No. 16/720,466, filed on Dec. 19, 2019, granted, now 11,318,499, issued on May 3, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0165671 A1, May 23, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B07C 3/00 (2006.01); B07C 3/08 (2006.01); B07C 5/36 (2006.01); B25J 9/08 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 3/008 (2013.01) [B07C 3/08 (2013.01); B07C 5/36 (2013.01); B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 9/1612 (2013.01); B25J 9/1679 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B25J 15/0616 (2013.01); B65G 1/0492 (2013.01); B65G 1/1376 (2013.01); B65G 1/1378 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0233 (2013.01); B65G 2203/044 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45063 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a set of first tracks extending in a first horizontal direction;
a second track provided between the set of first tracks, the second track being slidable along the set of first tracks in the first horizontal direction; and
a platform coupled to the second track and moveable along the second track in a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction, the platform being pivotable between a transport position and a delivery position to displace an item into a select one of a plurality of containers.
 
8. A sorting system, comprising:
a robot including a picking arm arranged to pick an item from a picking area;
an intermediate delivery mechanism arranged to receive the item from the picking arm of the robot; and
a shuttle device, comprising:
a set of first tracks extending in a first horizontal direction;
a second track provided between the set of first tracks, the second track being slidable along the set of first tracks in the first horizontal direction; and
a platform coupled to the second track and arranged to receive the item from the intermediate delivery mechanism, the platform being moveable along the second track in a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction, and the platform being pivotable between a transport position and a delivery position to displace the item into a select one of a plurality of containers.
 
14. A method of sorting items, comprising:
picking a first item from a picking area using a picking arm of a robot;
transferring the first item onto a platform of a shuttle device, the shuttle device including a set of first tracks extending in a first horizontal direction, a second track provided between the set of first tracks, and the platform;
sliding the second track along the set of first tracks in the first horizontal direction and moving the platform along the second track in a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction; and
actuating at least a portion of the platform from a transport position, in which the first item is disposed on the platform, to a delivery position, in which the first item is displaced into a first container.