US 12,147,933 B2
Automated packaging assembly line for perishable items
Luke Joseph Vaccaro, Westfield, NJ (US); Da Kong, Syosset, NY (US); Michael Curtes, Brooklyn, NY (US); and Benjamin Pierce Mckean, Mooresville, NC (US)
Assigned to HUNGRYROOT, INC., New York, NY (US)
Filed by Hungryroot, Inc., New York, NY (US)
Filed on Feb. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/680,992.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/196,468, filed on Jun. 3, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0391833 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/0833 (2023.01); B65B 43/26 (2006.01); B65B 55/20 (2006.01); B65B 57/00 (2006.01); B65B 63/00 (2006.01); B65B 63/08 (2006.01); G06Q 10/0832 (2023.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 10/0833 (2013.01) [B65B 43/265 (2013.01); B65B 55/20 (2013.01); B65B 57/00 (2013.01); B65B 63/005 (2013.01); B65B 63/08 (2013.01); G06Q 10/0832 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); B65B 2210/04 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated apparatus for configuring and producing packaging for orders of variable configurations of perishable items, the apparatus comprising:
a conveyor and motor to support and advance shipping cartons of a plurality of sizes for receiving the configurations of perishable items;
at least one automatic case erector-sealer machine to construct the shipping cartons of a plurality of sizes (shipping cartons);
at least one packing liner dispenser robotic arm to dispense into the shipping cartons, insulated packing liners of a plurality of types and sizes, each type having a different thermal R value;
a cold pack dispenser to dispense cold packs of a plurality of sizes into the shipping cartons;
a control system communicably coupled to the conveyor and motor the case erector-sealer machine, the packing liner dispenser robotic arm, and the cold pack dispenser;
the control system having a memory and a processor, wherein the memory includes a stored program executable by the processor;
a specialized point of sale and/or ecommerce platform communicably coupled to the control system;
a data processor communicably coupled to the control system, and to the point of sale and/or ecommerce platform;
the data processor configured to capture order configuration, order destination, available order points of origin; and
the stored program of the control system configured to:
(a) capture from the data processor, the order configuration, order destination, and expected delivery date;
(b) use the order destination, and the expected delivery date, to generate a time in transit (TNT) for the order;
(c) use the order configuration to generate a total volume of items in the order, a cold volume of items in the order requiring refrigeration, and an ambient volume of items in the order not requiring refrigeration;
(d) use the total volume and cold volume to generate a product cube category (PCC);
(e) use the TNT and the PCC to generate a packaging configuration for the order, the packaging configuration including carton size, type and size of insulated packing liner, size and amount of cold packs, and placement of a partition within the carton to create a cold portion sized and shaped to receive the cold volume;
(f) use the packaging configuration to generate and send operational directives to at least one or more of the conveyor and motor, the automatic case erector-sealer machine, the packing liner dispenser robotic arm, and the cold pack dispenser, the operational directives including instructions to at least one of cause the case erector-sealer machine to erect a shipping carton of a particular size, cause the conveyer and motor to advance the shipping carton along the conveyor, cause the packing liner dispenser robotic arm to dispense a particular type and size of packing liner into the shipping carton, and cause the cold pack dispenser to dispense a particular size and amount of cold packs into the shipping carton;
wherein in response to the operational directives sent by the control system, the at least one automatic case erector-sealer erects a shipping carton of a particular size (shipping carton), the at least one packing liner dispenser dispenses a particular type and size of packing liner into the shipping carton, and the cold pack dispenser dispenses a particular size and amount of cold packs into the shipping carton.