US 12,006,087 B1
Label reinforcing device, and related systems and methods
William Curtis Heaslet, North Bend, WA (US); Shuangkai Wu, Watford (GB); Paolo Muccioli, Genoa (IT); Andrea Fagiani, Luxembourg (LU); and Vishnu Mohan Mohanan, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on May 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/735,745.
Int. Cl. B65C 9/28 (2006.01); B65C 9/02 (2006.01); B65C 9/40 (2006.01)
CPC B65C 9/28 (2013.01) [B65C 9/02 (2013.01); B65C 9/40 (2013.01); B65C 2009/407 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A label reinforcing device for location in a packaging system at a position that is downstream from a label applicator, comprising:
a conveyor having a support surface configured to convey labeled packages thereon in a conveyance direction;
a force applicator comprising:
a housing defining an interior pneumatic chamber;
an inlet in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid supply and with the pneumatic chamber; and
at least one outlet in fluid communication with the 3r pneumatic chamber, wherein the at least one outlet faces an outlet direction,
wherein the force applicator is mountable with respect to the conveyor such that the outlet direction intersects the support surface, and the force applicator is configured to expel pressurized gas from the at least one outlet at sufficient force to press unadhered portions of a label against an underlying package to which part of the label is adhered; and
an image sensor in electrical communication with a processor that is in electronic communication with computer memory, wherein the image sensor is configured to obtain images of the package at a location upstream from the force applicator, and the processor is configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in computer memory to thereby perform image recognition for identifying one or more misapplied labels that are partially adhered to the package, the processor is also configured to execute the computer readable instructions for calculating a time duration at which the package will intersect the outlet direction, and the processor is further configured to execute the computer readable instructions for actuating the force applicator to expel the pressurized gas from the at least one outlet while the package intersects the outlet direction.