Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Raashid Mohammed

Majid Abdul

Dean Christopher Fullerton

Eric C Flagel

Ankit Pandey

Darren Ernest Canavor

David Bruce McCalib, Jr

Jay Mark Dugat

Kevin W Keck

Terrick Willoughby

Erik Roy Veilleux

Srinivas Nallapati

Farouq Halawa

Morris Lee Richardson

Daniel Ruffatto

Kevin Shawn Lyons

Khalid Kayal

Hunter D HeLal

John Daryl Day

When a customer places an order for a first item and a second item, delivery systems utilize an aerial vehicle to transport the first item from a first source of the first item to a second source of the second item. At the second source, the first item and the second item are transferred into a carrier vehicle and transported toward a destination of the order. Once the carrier vehicle arrives within a vicinity of the destination, an autonomous ground vehicle departs the carrier vehicle with the first item and the second item, and delivers the first item and the second item to the destination. The delivery systems effectively expand the capacity of sources of items, and simplify processes for delivering orders for items, by enabling items from multiple sources to be combined at a single source prior to delivery, and transported to a destination from the single source.

Fulfilling orders for multiple items from multiple sources via multimodal channels

A coupler has a housing including a first end configured to couple to an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) and a second end having a receptacle. A cabinet operably couples to the housing and is at least partially disposed within the receptacle. A magnetic element is disposed at least partially within the cabinet. The magnetic element is configured to magnetically engage with a portion of a towable cart for transport by the AGV.

Coupler with magnetic element for towing utility carts

Automated container provisioning systems described herein may include one or more pairs of transport belts, one or more guide surfaces, and one or more sensors. The transport belts may engage flaps or other portions of containers, and the guide surfaces may support surfaces or other portions of containers, in order to transport containers to downstream stations within a facility. In addition, the sensors may detect containers during transport, responsive to which various additional operations may be performed with respect to containers, such as sortation, printing, labeling, tracking, packing, accumulation, or others.

Automated container provisioning systems and methods

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for systems and methods for an adjustable conveyer system. The adjustable system may include one or more conveyor systems, a support structure for a first end of the conveyor system, a support structure for the second end of the conveyor system, and a lift system. The lift system may be actuated to cause the first end of the conveyor system to raise to a height that is higher or lower than the second end of the conveyor system. The adjustable system may be used to distribute packages to containers of various heights and sizes. In one example, the lift system may include a crank shaft. In another example, the lift system may involve a pulley system.

Adjustable conveyor system

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for empty container removal. In one embodiment, an example method for removing empty containers may include opening a first gate, pushing a cart past the first gate, the cart comprising a handle and a trapdoor, where the cart comprises the empty containers, sliding the handle of the cart in a lateral direction from a default position to an extended position, opening a second gate, pushing the cart past the second gate using the handle, and actuating the trapdoor from a closed position to an open position, where actuating the trapdoor causes the empty containers to fall down a chute.

Systems and methods for empty container removal

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for buffer carts having articulating floors. In one embodiment, an example cart may include a front wall, and a first floor portion coupled to the front wall. The first floor portion may include a slot along a lateral side of the first floor portion. The cart may include a second floor portion, where the second floor portion is coupled to the first floor portion. The cart may include a scissor mechanism coupled to the second floor portion, and a drive system coupled to the scissor mechanism and configured to drive the scissor mechanism in a vertical direction, wherein movement of the scissor mechanism includes relative motion between the first floor portion and the second floor portion via the slot.

Buffer carts with articulating floors

Embodiments herein describe a chute for temporarily buffering packages when, for example, a container disposed at the end of the chute has been removed. The chute includes a flap that activates to hold packages in an accumulation area when the container is removed. In one embodiment, the flap is disposed at an end of the chute at a decline so that during normal operation packages slide off the flap into the container. An actuator can rotate the flap from a decline position into a vertical position such that the flap serves as a stop to prevent packages from sliding off the chute when containers are being swapped out. Once a new container is disposed at the end of the chute, the actuator can rotate the flap back to the decline position so that any accumulated packages are then ejected into the container.

Chute accumulation system

Embodiments herein describe a tote dispenser that removes the bottom tote from as stack of totes which is then ejected by a conveyor belt. In one embodiment, the tote dispenser includes a first pair of support members which support all but the bottom tote in the stack, while a second pair of support members applies a force that removes the bottom tote from the stack. The first and second pairs of support members can be disengaged so that the stack of totes can be realigned relative to the support members so that the next tote at the bottom of the stack can be removed.

Lift-actuated bottom tote dispenser

Embodiments herein describe a decline station for moving items between two structures at different heights. In one embodiment, the decline station includes a receiving ramp which receives an item from the first, upper structure. The receiving ramp is aligned with a pivot ramp so that items can be transferred from the receiving ramp onto the pivot ramp. The pivot ramp includes at least two positions: a receiving position where the pivot ramp is coplanar with the receiving ramp and a discharge position where the pivot ramp is aligned with another, lower ramp in the station&#x2014;e.g., another pivot ramp or a discharge ramp. The item is transferred between ramps until it is eventually discharged onto a second, lower structure.

Decline station

Systems and methods for improving, among other things, the commission and maintenance checks of material handling equipment are described. In an example, sensor data may be generated based on movement of test equipment by a material handling equipment along a path between locations of a facility. The path may be associated with movement of an item by the material handling equipment. The sensor data may be associated with different conditions along the path. The test may include a plurality of sensors configured to generate the sensor data. Based on the sensor data, an indication of a location along the path and a condition may be provided. The condition may be associated with the location along the path and may affect movement of the item at the location. The indication may be provided to a user equipment that is remote from the test equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Lynnwood, WA, United States of America

Raashid Mohammed