US 11,969,759 B2
System and method for automated sortation
Anthony J. Young, Louisville, KY (US); Jeffrey Paul Henley, Louisville, KY (US); Kevin Raney, Louisville, KY (US); Robert Browder, Louisville, KY (US); Marvin Gregory Whitlock, Louisville, KY (US); Scott Crance, Louisville, KY (US); Ken Ice, Louisville, KY (US); Michael Karaglanis, Louisville, KY (US); Brian Yount, Louisville, KY (US); Barry Sweatt, Louisville, KY (US); Thomas M. Phillips, Louisville, KY (US); and Logan Young, Louisville, KY (US)
Assigned to AEGIS SORTATION LLC, Louisville, KY (US)
Filed by Aegis Sortation, LLC, Louisville, KY (US)
Filed on Jun. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/843,313.
Application 17/843,313 is a continuation of application No. 17/566,527, filed on Dec. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,731,169.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/216,340, filed on Jun. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0410213 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B07C 3/00 (2006.01); B07C 3/08 (2006.01); B65G 47/19 (2006.01); B65G 47/26 (2006.01); B65G 47/48 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 3/008 (2013.01) [B07C 3/08 (2013.01); B65G 47/19 (2013.01); B65G 47/268 (2013.01); B65G 47/48 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0285 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0241 (2013.01); B65G 2203/044 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A smart bin system comprising:
a smart bin comprising:
a plurality of walls and a bottom, together defining a cavity therewithin;
wherein the bottom comprises a gate moveable between a closed position configured to retain at least one item of a plurality of items within the cavity, and an open position configured to allow the at least one item to fall from within the cavity through the bottom; and
a controller, functionally coupled to the gate and configured to move the gate between the closed position and the open position based on received data,
wherein, when the controller determines based on the received data that one or more of the plurality of items retained with the cavity is to be released from the cavity, the gate is moved to the open position and a slug consisting of the one or more of the plurality of items is released onto a collector conveyor from the smart bin into a logical zone on the collector conveyor, and conveyed from the logical zone of the collector conveyor onto a cleated conveyor.