US 11,911,803 B2
Automated sorting and packing system
Calem Harris, Tampa, FL (US); Sebastian Mora, Davenport, FL (US); Grant Tucker, Orlando, FL (US); Arun Kumar Ranganathan Jagannathan, Shrewsbury, MA (US); Carl Skantze, Tampa, FL (US); Arnold Tsoka, Orlando, FL (US); and Mario Faulkner, Wesley Chapel, FL (US)
Assigned to Staples, Inc., Framingham, MA (US)
Filed by Staples, Inc., Framingham, MA (US)
Filed on May 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/661,702.
Prior Publication US 2023/0347386 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B07C 5/36 (2006.01); B07C 5/10 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 5/362 (2013.01) [B07C 5/10 (2013.01); B07C 2501/0063 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, a first carton identifier associated with a first carton for a first order;
assigning, by the one or more processors, a first transfer station to the first order and the first carton identifier based on scan data identifying a first item, the first order including the first item and a second item, the second item being assigned to the first transfer station;
transporting, by the one or more processors, the first item to the first transfer station using one or more first conveyors including diverting the first item to a corner of a consolidation area of the first transfer station, the corner of the consolidation area holding the first item and the second item simultaneously, the second item having been previously transported to the first transfer station using the one or more first conveyors;
transporting, by the one or more processors, the first carton to a carton-receiving area of the first transfer station including aligning the first carton at a position that is offset to a corner of the carton-receiving area, the corner of the consolidation area being located above the corner of the carton-receiving area in the first transfer station; and
transferring, by the one or more processors, the first item and the second item from the one or more first conveyors to the first carton associated with the first carton identifier using the first transfer station, including causing the first item and the second item to pass through an aperture at the corner of the consolidation area into the first carton.