US 12,459,737 B1
Pendulum queue
Scott Hogan, Mukilteo, WA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/845,173.
Int. Cl. B65G 1/06 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/065 (2013.01) [B65G 1/0478 (2013.01); B65G 1/1375 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
5. A pendulum queue system, comprising:
a first queue comprising a first delivery portion and a first storage portion at least partially separated from one another by a first operating space;
a second queue positioned laterally from the first queue and comprising a second delivery portion and a second storage portion at least partially separated from one another by a second operating space, wherein the first storage portion and the second storage portion each includes its own storage work cell through which inventory holders are cyclable, and wherein the first delivery portion and the second delivery portion each includes one or more carriers; and
a transfer apparatus operable in a work envelope that includes the first operating space and the second operating space, wherein the transfer apparatus is configured to move back and forth between the first queue and the second queue and to move within the operating space of each queue to transfer an item between an inventory holder and a carrier within one of the queues during a time interval in which the other of the queues is undergoing cycling of the inventory holders among the storage work cells.