The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 30, 2020
Filed:
Jul. 21, 2017
Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);
Dinesh Mahadevan, Lynnwood, WA (US);
Martin Peter Aalund, Seattle, WA (US);
Jon Stuart Battles, North Bend, WA (US);
Jon David DeFant, Seattle, WA (US);
Benjamin Douglas Garcia, Seattle, WA (US);
Vahideh Kamranzadeh, Seattle, WA (US);
George T. Davies, Brigham City, UT (US);
Steven Eric Nuetzman, Syracuse, UT (US);
Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
In one embodiment, an storage module has first and second guide rails that are spaced from one another along a lateral direction. Each guiderail has an upper track and a lower track spaced from one another along a vertical direction, and first and second connecting tracks that connect the upper track to the lower track at first and second ends, respectively. A plurality of inventory carriers that are supported between the guiderails and are arranged end-to-end along the upper and lower tracks. A drivetrain drives the carriers to translate along the upper and lower tracks at a first speed, and drives the carriers to translate along the connecting tracks at a second speed, faster than the first speed. Increasing the speed of the carriers at the connecting tracks can prevent the carriers from colliding with one another when transitioning between the upper track and the lower track.