Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Paul Roy Raines, Jr

Martin Peter Aalund

Jon Stuart Battles

Samuel Gardner Garrett

Jayson Michael Jochim

Yan Yan

Timothy Alan Talda

Toby Ge Xu

Brian Hoffman

David L Alspaugh

Akshay Rajendra Tilekar

Eric K Wyman

Stephanie Tomasetta

David Henry Clark

Kaushik Mani

Ned Lecky

John Tan

Chen Ge

Akhil Ranka

Sonia Thosar

A method of preparing a packaging laminate includes conveying a mesh of paper material having perforations against a rigid edge causing, at substantially each perforation, a mesh portion at the leading side to have an average elevation lower than that of a mesh portion on the trailing side of the perforation. The method includes expanding the perforations into cells separated from one another by legs interconnected by nodes defined in the mesh Top and bottom surfaces of the legs and nodes are reoriented from an initial orientation substantially parallel with a direction of conveyance of the mesh to an expanded orientation oblique to the direction of conveyance, such that, in the expanded orientation, the top surfaces of the nodes are substantially parallel with each other. The method includes attaching an outer liner to at least some of the bottom surfaces so as to form the packaging laminate.

Methods for packaging items and preparing packaging materials

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

Methods and apparatus for controlling the movement of portable receptacles within a materials handling facility are described. The materials handling facility utilizes at least one linear induction motor (LIM) to move the portable receptacles having conductive elements from a first location to a second location within the facility. The LIMs may be configured such that most, if not all, of the movement of the receptacles is controlled by the application of energy from the LIMs to the conductive elements of the receptacles. This energy may cause the receptacles to move from one LIM to another LIM, where each LIM in sequence can apply force to the receptacle to pass it to the next LIM in the sequence. In some implementations, the portable receptacles are configured such that at least a base portion of the receptacle includes a conductive element to interact with the LIMs, while maintaining an overall light-weight configuration.

Methods and apparatus for controlling movement of receptacles

Disclosed are various embodiments for an automated package unloading system. An automated package unloading system can include an end effector supported by a supporting frame which is mounted to a conveyor system. The end effector and/or the conveyor can be configured to move into and out of a container containing stacked packages. The end effector can be configured to attach to the packages and pull the packages from their original position. The end effector can further be configured to release the packages onto the underlying conveyor.

Automated package unloading system

Disclosed are systems and methods for an automated materials handling facility. The automated materials handling facility uses a series of automated devices, such as automated guidance vehicles, mobile drive units, robotic arms, automated sorters, etc., to facilitate item receive, stow, pick, shipping and other aspects of materials handling. The automated devices are controlled by a materials handling control system that sends instructions to the various devices to coordinate operation of those devices and to coordinate flow of items through the materials handling system.

Automated materials handling facility

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Paul Roy Raines, Jr