Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Bakery Holdings, LLC

Eric K Wyman

Timothy Alan Talda

Roland Lomerson, Jr

Thomas Pearce

Mark Manzi

Brian Hoffman

Martin Peter Aalund

Samuel Gardner Garrett

Toby Ge Xu

David L Alspaugh

Akshay Rajendra Tilekar

Paul Roy Raines, Jr

Stephanie Tomasetta

Paul Raines

Bruno Zbinden

Steven Todd Johnson

Souleymane Diallo

A film tensioning and steering system can be configured to extract a film from a film source. One or more film characteristics can require that the film tensioning and steering system be isolated from the film source so that a film tension can be maintained within the film tensioning and steering system. A first drive roller pair and a second drive roller pair can be configured to secure the film and enable a dampening roller to maintain the film tension between the first drive roller pair and the second drive roller pair. Additionally, the dampening roller can store an amount of the film as a film buffer. Accordingly, the film tensioning and steering system can maintain the film tension such that a steering system can align the film before the first drive roller pair provides the film at a proper alignment to a downstream system.

Isolated film tension and steering system

A system and method that causes at least one item to be placed within a portion of an elastic film positioned across a top surface of a container, the portion including a center portion in which the at least one item is placed. Air may be extracted from the container to create a vacuum within the cavity and to expand the center portion to create a void in the center portion within the cavity. Air may flow into the container to release the vacuum and contract the center portion of the elastic film as the void is decreased and eliminated.

Vacuum-assisted item bundling system

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for defect prevention for flexible container sealing systems. In one embodiment, an example flexible container sealing system may include a first camera configured to image an item disposed in a flexible container, a laser system configured to detect presence of items, a cutting assembly configured to cut a material that forms the flexible container, a sealing assembly configured to seal one or more ends of the flexible container, and a computer system configured to determine, using the first camera, a height of the item disposed in the flexible container.

Defect prevention for flexible container sealing systems

In one embodiment, a system has a carousel that has a guiderail that forms a loop that has a loading position and an unloading position. The carousel also has a plurality of buckets, each having an upper end and a lower end. The lower end includes at least one bottom wall that is moveable between (i) a transporting configuration where the at least one bottom wall substantially closes the lower end of the bucket and (ii) a discharge configuration where the at least one bottom wall is moved so as to define an opening in the lower end of the bucket. The buckets are supported by the guiderail such that the buckets can be driven from the loading position towards the unloading position in the transporting configuration. The buckets can be transitioned to the discharge configuration so as to unload inventory items at the unloading position into a packaging material.

System having a carousel of buckets configured to induct inventory items into packaging

A packaging system employs a cartridge having moveable walls such that the cartridge discharges or inducts one or more items into a cavity of a package, such as a film that is sealed into a pouch or mailer. A bottom wall of the cartridge is retracted relative to an end panel of the cartridge during the induction process.

Cartridge and system for automated induct of single and multiple items into an automated packaging machine

A metering system for handling product through a packaging operation comprising: a mechanism for transporting individual product units in discrete lanes to a staging area ahead of a subsequent processing operation; a stop for restraining the flow of product before it enters the subsequent processing operation; a mechanism for detecting when a predetermined quantity of product has accumulated in each lane of the staging area against the stop; and a mechanism for restraining by individual lane further quantities of product before they enter the staging area.

Metering system

A combination sealing and cutting device comprising: an elongated anvil having an elongated slot therein; an elongated blade having a longitudinal aperture therein; a heating element in the longitudinal aperture; and an actuator mechanism for driving the blade toward and into the elongated slot to accomplish simultaneous sealing and cutting of overlying polymer films. According to various preferred embodiments, the combination sealing and cutting device further includes a pair of parallel flanges extending along both edges of the blade that serve to retain the blade; and film retaining beads along the longitudinal edges of the parallel flanges that serve to retain the plastic films being cut and sealed against the outer edges of the elongated slot.

Combination seal bar and cutter

An adjustable lane guide system comprising: 1) first and second generally parallel and spaced apart support bars; 2) a plurality of lane guides generally perpendicular to the support bars; and 3) a plurality of adjustable attachment mechanisms joining the lane guides to the first and second support bars. Each of the adjustable attachment mechanisms comprises a bearing block that engages the support bars; a pair of opposing wings on either side of the bearing block also engaging the support bars and each having first and second ends, the first ends hingeably attached to the bearing block and the second ends flared by a spring located between the pair of opposed wings such that pressure applied to each of the second ends causes the wings to be drawn toward each other against the pressure of the spring thereby allowing the adjustment mechanisms to move laterally along the support bar so that the distance between adjacent lane guides can be changed along the first and second support bars.

Adjustable lane guide

A splicing device comprising: an elongated anvil having an elongated slot therein; an elongated splicing head having a pair of spaced apart tips extending therefrom and having a longitudinal aperture therein; a heating element in the longitudinal aperture; and an actuator mechanism for driving one of the tips toward and into the elongated slot to weld two overlying polymer films together and the other of the tips into cutting contact with a polymeric film from a spent roll of film. According to various preferred embodiments, the splicing device further includes a pair of retaining members on either side of the anvil that serve to retain films to be spliced in taut contact with the anvil during splicing, and a turret section for rotating full and spent rolls of polymeric film into position for continued operation and reloading.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Eric K Wyman