Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Bruce Leardi

Racha Lwali

Andrew John Gawne

A spiral chute assembly for moving packages from an upper level to a lower level of sort facility includes a first slide inlet and an opposing second slide inlet opposite the first slide inlet. The first slide has an outlet that is above the second slide outlet in the spiral chute. The front walls of the first and second slides are angled in the direction of the approaching package to facilitate receiving the package while moving.

Spiral entry chute

Disclosed are various embodiments for an adjustable chute configured to funnel containers or packages into different types of bulk containers and bulk containers of different sizes. In one embodiment, the adjustable chute comprises a front panel, a rear panel, and first and second flexible sidewalls that can expand and contract between the front and rear panels. The front panel has a first hinged connection configured to move between a first position and a second position along a path of a chimney chute. The rear panel has a second hinged connection to the chimney chute.

Adjustable chimney chute

In one embodiment, a sortation system has a conveyor system and mobile drive units. The conveyor system has a conveyor surface that carries payloads along a direction that extends from a first conveyor end to a second conveyor end. The conveyor system has support structure that supports the conveyor surface above a floor so as to define a space between the conveyor surface and the floor. The space is sized so that the mobile drive units can drive under the conveyor surface towards the second conveyor end. The conveyor system has sensors supported that are positioned to detect positions of the mobile drive units under the conveyor surface. The conveyor system moves at least a portion of the conveyor surface based on the sensors detecting the presence of each mobile drive unit so as to synchronize movement of the payloads from the conveyor surface to the mobile drive units.

Conveyor system having sensors to time transfer of payloads onto moving mobile drive units

In one embodiment, a sortation system at a facility has a conveyor system and a mobile drive unit system. The conveyor system has a conveyor surface that transfers payloads to the mobile drive units, and a controller that communicates a payload identifier for each payload to the mobile drive unit system. The payload identifiers are masked such that information about the local destinations are unknown to the conveyor system. The mobile drive unit system determines the local destinations from the payload identifiers by unmasking the payload identifiers, and delivers the payloads to determined local destinations at the facility.

Sorting system that transfers payloads from a conveyor system onto mobile drive units without the conveyor system knowing destinations of the mobile drive units

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Bruce Leardi