US 11,993,469 B2
Automated container unloader
Sai Prasanth Krishnamoorthy, Baltimore, MD (US); Ramdas Pai, Pittsburgh, PA (US); David Pepley, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Darius Scott, Baltimore, MD (US)
Assigned to INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC, Mason, OH (US)
Filed by INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC, Mason, OH (US)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/063,402.
Application 18/063,402 is a division of application No. 17/244,132, filed on Apr. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,548,742.
Prior Publication US 2023/0110253 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 65/23 (2006.01); B65G 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 65/23 (2013.01) [B65G 13/00 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
receiving a container on a platform of a device, wherein the container comprises an item and wherein the platform is at a first angle with respect to a ground surface when the platform receives the container;
moving a front panel of the device between a raised orientation and a lowered orientation with respect to the platform, wherein in response to the front panel being in the raised orientation, the front panel is orthogonal with respect to the platform, and in response to the front panel being in the lowered orientation, the front panel and the platform form a continuous surface;
pivoting the platform from the first angle to a second angle with respect to the ground surface that is larger than the first angle, wherein pivoting the platform to the second angle comprises at least one or more of:
rotating the container around a rotational axis which is normal with respect to the platform to configure the item in the container to lean against a surface of the front panel when the front panel is in the raised orientation; and
rotating the container around the rotational axis which is normal with respect to the platform to configure the item to be released onto a surface of a conveyor when the front panel is in the lowered orientation; and wherein the method further comprises configuring a rotary joint to be placed between the platform of the device and the container to rotate the container around the rotational axis which is normal with respect to the platform.