US 12,378,074 B2
Tray exchange and dispositioning systems, methods, and apparatuses
Adam Quinn Miller, Wilsonville, OR (US); Thomas Wayne Tipton, Wilsonville, OR (US); Robert D. Batten, Wilsonville, OR (US); Mark Laurin Baker, Wilsonville, OR (US); and Roy Daniel Garoutte, Wilsonville, OR (US)
Assigned to DWFritz Automation, LLC, Wilsonville, OR (US)
Appl. No. 17/753,466
Filed by DWFritz Automation, LLC, Wilsonville, OR (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/049265
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 3, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/046264, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/895,345, filed on Sep. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0315334 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 1/06 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01); B65G 61/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/06 (2013.01) [B65G 1/1371 (2013.01); B65G 61/00 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0258 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tray handler for transporting a tray into or out from a selectable position within a tray stack stowed in the tray handler, the tray handler comprising:
a multiple position conveyor system, wherein the multiple position conveyor system includes an unload station and a nest station and is configured to adjust the horizontal position of an ejected tray to first position and second position;
wherein the unload station is the first position and includes an unload conveyor that is configured to receive a first tray and a second tray from the tray stack;
wherein the nest station is the second position, and is positioned for loading and unloading the unload station using a nest conveyor that is configured to be mechanically isolated from the unload conveyor, the nest station is further configured to independently horizontally transport the second tray while the first tray is being sorted within the tray stack;
a tray elevator configured to vertically transport the tray stack to the selectable position such that the ejected tray is positioned to be horizontally received from or by the unload station;
a separator having a set of upper tray latches, a set of lower tray latches, and a tray shelf, wherein the separator is above the tray elevator and coupled to the unload station, the separator configured to vertically split the tray stack for accessing the selectable position and horizontally transporting the ejected tray into or out from the unload station;
wherein the set of upper tray latches and the set of lower tray latches are configured to vertically split the tray stack;
wherein the tray shelf is configured to extend from and retract toward an interior of the separator such that, in an extended position, the tray shelf slides under a bottom surface region of the ejected tray in a split portion of the tray stack; and
a tray pusher, wherein the tray pusher is configured to move the ejected tray onto the unload conveyor when a loading door sensor senses that a loading door is closed.