Shuttle Sorter Carriage for Dynamic Bin Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sortation systems are inefficient and inflexible, requiring a large number of collection bins and manual labor, which increases costs and limits throughput and scalability.
Innovation Solution
An automated shuttle sorter system that includes a movable carriage capable of reciprocally moving between multiple destination stations, allowing for dynamic assignment of objects to collection bins based on real-time data and heuristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of collection bins are used to handle diverse objects, then the system can accommodate more destinations and object types, but the physical space, capital costs, and operating costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic collection bin assignment where bins are not permanently dedicated to specific destinations but are temporarily assigned based on real-time sortation needs. The system controller dynamically reconfigures which bin receives objects for which destination, allowing the same physical bin to serve multiple destinations sequentially. This dynamic approach enables the system to handle a larger number of destinations without proportionally increasing the number of physical bins, thereby reducing space requirements while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds the time dimension to the sortation process by implementing multi-pass sortation. Instead of requiring all destinations to be simultaneously accessible (spatial dimension only), objects can be sorted in multiple passes where different destination sets are active at different times. This temporal dimension allows the system to accommodate more destinations than the number of physical bins by cycling through different destination configurations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If human workers perform manual sortation, then flexibility in handling various objects is maintained, but system throughput is limited by worker speed
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated object identification and destination determination using scanners and controllers that automatically read object identifiers and calculate optimal destinations. This self-service capability eliminates the need for human workers to manually assess each object and decide its destination, dramatically increasing throughput while maintaining flexibility through automated decision-making algorithms that can handle diverse object types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sortation (human workers physically moving objects) with an automated system using scanners, controllers, and motorized conveyors. The mechanical action of workers sorting objects is substituted with automated detection systems that identify objects and controlled conveyance systems that transport them to the correct bins, thereby increasing throughput while preserving adaptability through software-based routing logic.
3Productivity
If recirculating conveyors with tilt trays are used for automation, then throughput increases, but the system requires objects to have visible identifying codes and follows a fixed sequence
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a universal carriage design that can handle multiple object types and destinations within a single sortation cycle. Unlike fixed-sequence conveyors that process objects in a predetermined order, the carriage-based system can dynamically adjust which objects are sorted to which destinations based on real-time conditions. The carriage serves multiple functions: transporting objects, holding them during decision-making, and delivering them to dynamically assigned destinations, thereby maintaining both high throughput and processing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary object identification and destination calculation before the actual sortation action. Scanners read object identifiers and the controller determines optimal destinations in advance, allowing the system to prepare sortation instructions before objects reach the carriage. This preliminary action enables flexible routing decisions to be made without disrupting the high-speed automated flow, maintaining throughput while adapting to diverse object types and destination requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated shuttle sorter is disclosed that includes a carriage that is movable from a load position at which the carriage may be loaded, and at least two destination locations into which any contents of the carriage may be provided from the carriage.