Amazon Technologies, Inc.

William Scott Kalm

Benjamin Douglas Garcia

Vahideh Kamranzadeh

Seshachalamgupta Motamarri

Dinesh Mahadevan

Peter A Grant

Tyson Wittrock

Kushal Patel

Jon Stuart Battles

Martin Peter Aalund

Timothy Alan Talda

Brian Hoffman

Jon David DeFant

Kevin Senh Ly

Bob Samac

Kent Belden Meiswinkel

Vincent Kerstholt

Tait Stephen Carroll

Noah Lael Ryder

Robert Thomas Brown

Steven Eric Nuetzman

Sean O Maylone

Kevin W Keck

Thomas Felis

Joshua David Landry

Ruben Boerhof

Ernst Bahlman

Matthew Roy Gardner

Bart Heerikhuizen

Frank Van Ommeren

Jasper Schaapman

Henk Roeberts

Vahida Kamranzadeh

A container transport can move containers around a warehouse environment. The container transport can include a container receiving area with multiple container bays. Containers can be received in the container bays and moved around the warehouse environment.

Method and system for moving containers

A container transport can move containers around a warehouse environment. The container transport can include a support that can connect the container transport with a robotic manipulator. The support can rotate the container transport between a storage position and a carrying position. In the carrying position the container can receive a container in a container receiving area. A manipulator can move the container into and/or out of container receiving area.

Container management system

An item delivery system can include a conveyor. The conveyor can be positioned in a delivery vehicle, for example. The conveyor can include a conveyance surface for receiving items and dividers. While remaining coupled with the conveyance surface, the dividers can move between a storage configuration and an operating configuration. In the operating configuration, the dividers can be positioned between the items. The conveyor can move the items to a position for removal. The removal position may correspond to an area accessible from an operator area of the delivery vehicle, for example.

Variable slot conveyor in final segment of delivery

An item retrieval system can include a support defining a continuous pathway having an upper level, a lower level, and an end portion connecting the upper and lower portions. An advancement mechanism can move a carrier having a container advanced along the continuous pathway between the upper and lower levels.

Item retrieval system

An item delivery system can include a carrier positioned on a rail. The rail can be positioned in a delivery vehicle, for example. The carrier can include rigid or semi-rigid sidewall and dividers to form item slots. The item slots can receive one or more items. The carrier can be positioned on the rail and moved around the rail by an advancement device. The advancement device can engage with a portion of the carrier to move the carrier. The carrier can be moved to a position for removal of items from the carrier. The removal position may correspond to an area accessible from an operator area of the delivery vehicle, for example.

Automated sequencing and dispensing in final segment of delivery

Systems and methods are disclosed for flexible container pods for use with robotic systems. In one embodiment, an example flexible container pod may include a center plate having a plurality of apertures, a first member coupled to an upper end of the center plate, a second member coupled to the upper end of the center plate, and a base coupled to the center plate. The flexible container pod may include a first net extending from the first member to the base, a second net extending from the second member to the base, a first shelf member coupled to the first net, and a second shelf member coupled to the second net. A container can be removably positioned on the first shelf member and the second shelf member.

Flexible container pods for use with robotic systems

An inventory management system includes an inventory holder and sensors. The sensors measure distances to locations on the inventory holder. The measurements are used to determine pitch, roll, and yaw of the inventory holder. The pitch, roll, and yaw are used to determine a location of an inventory cubicle in the inventory holder.

Triangulation sensor system

A packaging sizer can receive and segment packaging into two or more segments. The packaging sizer can receive the packaging on a conveyance surface and convey the packaging to a position for segmenting. A segmenting assembly can segment the packaging to form two or more segments. The resulting segments can be directed in different directions for different purposes. For example, one or more of the segments can be removed from the packaging sizer and one or more segments can be moved to a position for manipulation by a packaging manipulator.

Packaging sizer

In one embodiment, an inventory storage system has at least one storage module and a fire suppression system. The storage module has upper and lower conveyor segments that are configured to move storage containers along a longitudinal direction, and first and second connecting conveyor segments that are disposed at the first and second module ends, respectively. Each connecting segment connects the upper and lower conveyor segments to one another such that the upper and lower conveyor segments and the first and second connecting conveyor segments together define a movement path having a closed shape. The storage module defines a gap between storage containers supported by the upper and lower conveyor segments. The fire suppression system has at least one spray nozzle that is laterally adjacent to the gap and that is configured to spray a liquid extinguishant into the gap and onto storage containers supported by the lower conveyor segment.

Fire suppression nozzle and system for stackable inventory storage modules

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for container transporters and related item manipulation devices. In one embodiment, an example item manipulation device may include a support platform, and a conveyance surface attached to the support platform and configured to convey a container at least a portion of a distance from a first side of the support platform to a second side of the support platform, where the conveyance surface defines at least a portion of a container passage through which a container can be conveyed. The item manipulation device may include a manipulator comprising a first arm disposed along a longitudinal axis of the item manipulation device and a second arm disposed along the longitudinal axis of the item manipulation device, where the manipulator is engageable with the container to move the container at least partially onto the conveyance surface.

Container transporters

A suction cup can include a body and a skirt connected to a periphery of the body. The body can include an engagement surface with an aperture. A friction material can be positioned on the engagement surface for engagement with a container. A channel can extend along the engagement surface between the aperture and a periphery of the body.

Friction vacuum suction cup

A loading system (e.g., in a warehouse or other item-fulfillment environment) can include a rotary hub that supports one or more chambers. In a first orientation of the rotary hub, one of the chambers may be in a first position aligned for item receipt (e.g., through an open top of the chamber by feeding from a conveyor belt or other feeding system). The rotary hub can rotate to a second orientation in which the chamber is in a second position aligned for item discharge (e.g., through an open end of the chamber and into a receiving zone of a packaging machine or other system).

Automatic rotary inserting machine

An insertion system (e.g., in a warehouse or other item-fulfillment environment) can include a chassis. A bottom conveying surface, a first side conveying surface, and a second side conveying surface may be fastened to the chassis respectively along the chassis's bottom face, first lateral face, and second lateral face. A chamber may be bounded by the conveying surfaces and by a rear wall defined at least in part by the front face of the chassis. A linear actuator coupled with the chassis may move the chassis from a home position and toward an extended position to advance the bottom conveying surface, the first side conveying surface, and the second side conveying surface along with the rear wall of the chamber to decrease a size of the chamber and advance contents of the chamber in a depth direction toward a receiving zone.

Item loading by chamber bounded by synchronized conveying surfaces

A system for moving items in a facility may be described herein. The system may instruct components of the system to move the items at different speeds or velocities based on an item's fragility rating. A fragility rating may indicate an amount of force that an item withstands prior to damaging the item. A fragility rating for an item may be determined based on known fragility ratings of items with similar item metrics.

Conveyance modulation based on fragility ratings

A suction cup can include a body and a skirt connected to a periphery of the body. The body can have an elliptical cross-section with a major axis that is longer than a minor axis. The body can include an aperture extending from a proximal side to a distal side. A stem can be positioned within the primary aperture. The stem can include an air conduit that can allow air to flow from the proximal side of the body.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

William Scott Kalm