US 12,122,604 B1
Order-fulfillment and product-handling system with random item induction and collation
Robert Terzini, Corinth, TX (US)
Assigned to Tension International, Inc.
Filed by Tension International, Inc., Kansas City, MO (US)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/375,799.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/051,574, filed on Jul. 14, 2020.
Int. Cl. B65G 1/12 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01)
CPC B65G 1/1376 (2013.01) [B65G 1/1371 (2013.01); B65G 1/1378 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); B65G 2209/02 (2013.01); B65G 2209/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A product conveyance system comprising: a plurality of bundle-order products disposed in a shipping packaging, the plurality of bundle-order products having been placed in the shipping packaging by a distributor prior to shipping, the plurality of bundle-order products being associated with a plurality of orders from end-users, each order of the plurality of orders being associated with one or more of the plurality of bundle-order products;
a conveyor having a track and a plurality of product carriers, each product carrier configured to carry one of the bundle-order products and being independently traceable and moveable along the track;
an induction station located along the track at which the plurality of bundle-order products is received in the shipping packaging, each of the plurality of bundle-order products being removed from the shipping packaging at the induction station and each being disposed directly onto and associated with a respective one of the plurality of product carriers;
a carrier loop in the track into which one or more of the plurality of product carriers is moveable to group carriers carrying bundle-order products associated with a particular one of the plurality of customer orders together along the track; and
a packaging station disposed along the track and having an escapement via which the bundle-order products associated with the particular one of the plurality of orders are removed from their respective carriers and disposed into an order packaging for shipment to the end-user.