US 11,911,798 B2
Material handling apparatus with item scanning station
Joseph Lakawicz, Moorestown, NJ (US); Stuart Ligo, Moorestown, NJ (US); Monty McVaugh, Moorestown, NJ (US); and Scott Ferguson, Moorestown, NJ (US)
Filed by OPEX Corporation, Moorestown, NJ (US)
Filed on Jun. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/206,507.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/349,587, filed on Jun. 6, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0390806 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B07C 3/08 (2006.01); B07C 3/12 (2006.01); B07C 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 3/08 (2013.01) [B07C 3/008 (2013.01); B07C 3/12 (2013.01); B07C 2301/0016 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A material handling apparatus, comprising:
an input station comprising:
a conveyor having an input segment for receiving items, a scanning segment for receiving items from the input segment and an output segment for receiving items from the scanning segment, wherein the scanning segment comprises a non-conductive element for supporting items on the scanning section;
a scanning station for scanning items on the scanning segment of the conveyor, comprising:
a housing having one or more conductive walls adjacent the scanning segment;
an RFID scanner comprising an emitter for emitting a radio frequency signal toward one or more walls of the housing and toward the scanning segment of the conveyor and a receiver for receiving signals emitted from the emitter;
a delivery mechanism for receiving items from the output segment of the conveyor and delivering the items to a plurality of storage locations;
a central controller operable to receive information from the scanning station regarding an identification for each item and determining the storage location to which each of the items is to be delivered, wherein the delivery mechanism is configured to deliver each item to the storage location determined for each item, wherein the input segment comprises a second conveyor belt and a conductive support under the second conveyor belt for supporting items on the input segment; and wherein the output segment comprises a third conveyor belt and a conductive support under the third conveyor belt for supporting items on the output segment.