US 12,280,404 B2
Sorting based on chemical composition
Nalin Kumar, Fort Wayne, IN (US); and Manuel Gerardo Garcia, Jr., Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to SORTERA TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Markle, IN (US)
Filed by Sortera Technologies, Inc., Markle, IN (US)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/751,181.
Application 16/852,514 is a division of application No. 16/358,374, filed on Mar. 19, 2019, granted, now 10,625,304, issued on Apr. 21, 2020.
Application 18/751,181 is a continuation of application No. 17/696,831, filed on Mar. 16, 2022, granted, now 12,017,255.
Application 17/696,831 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/667,397, filed on Feb. 8, 2022, granted, now 11,969,764.
Application 17/667,397 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/495,291, filed on Oct. 6, 2021, granted, now 11,975,365, issued on May 7, 2024.
Application 17/495,291 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/491,415, filed on Sep. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,278,937, issued on Mar. 22, 2022.
Application 17/495,291 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/380,928, filed on Jul. 20, 2021.
Application 17/491,415 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/227,245, filed on Apr. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,964,304, issued on Apr. 23, 2024.
Application 17/227,245 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/939,011, filed on Jul. 26, 2020, granted, now 11,471,916, issued on Oct. 18, 2022.
Application 17/491,415 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/852,514, filed on Apr. 19, 2020, granted, now 11,260,426, issued on Mar. 1, 2022.
Application 16/939,011 is a continuation of application No. 16/375,675, filed on Apr. 4, 2019, granted, now 10,722,922, issued on Jul. 28, 2020.
Application 16/375,675 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/963,755, filed on Apr. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,710,119, issued on Jul. 14, 2020.
Application 16/358,374 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/963,755, filed on Apr. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,710,119, issued on Jul. 14, 2020.
Application 15/963,755 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/213,129, filed on Jul. 18, 2016, granted, now 10,207,296, issued on Feb. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/249,069, filed on Sep. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/258,964, filed on Jun. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/173,301, filed on Apr. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/146,892, filed on Feb. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/490,219, filed on Apr. 26, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/193,332, filed on Jul. 16, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2024/0342758 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
Int. Cl. B07C 5/34 (2006.01); B07C 5/342 (2006.01); B07C 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 5/3422 (2013.01) [B07C 5/34 (2013.01); B07C 5/342 (2013.01); B07C 5/04 (2013.01); B07C 2501/0054 (2013.01)] 49 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for sorting material pieces comprising:
conveying a plurality of material pieces within a sorting system;
establishing a predetermined specific aggregate chemical composition of material pieces to be collected within a receptacle;
determining an approximate mass or weight of each material piece of the conveyed plurality of material pieces, wherein at least one of the plurality of material pieces has a chemical composition different from the other material pieces, wherein the determining the approximate mass or weight of each material piece comprises determining a size or shape of each material piece and inferring the approximate mass or weight from the determined size or shape;
determining a chemical composition of each material piece of the conveyed plurality of material pieces; and
selecting and sorting certain ones of the material pieces from the conveyed plurality of material pieces into the receptacle as a function of the determined approximate mass or weight and chemical composition of each material piece, wherein the combination of selected and sorted material pieces produces a collection of material pieces possessing the predetermined specific aggregate chemical composition.