TIME-VARYING CONTROL OF A CONTROLLABLE AIR STREAM

• Main Authors: Schultz, Carter J, Calaiaro, Jason M, Potter, Carson C, Marrs, Amanda M, Douglas, Cameron D, Horowitz, Matanya B, Fitzgerald, Jacob, Koos, Matthew J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.09.2024
• Subjects: CONVEYING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; POSTAL SORTING; SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTEDPIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING; STORING; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

Time-varying control of a controllable air stream is disclosed, including: a set of image sensors configured to capture image data showing a target object being conveyed by a conveyor device along a Y-direction; an array of air jets located along an X-direction, wherein the X-direction crosses the Y-direction; and a processor configured to: receive the image data from the set of image sensors; determine a classification of the target object within the image data; and modify a two-dimensional firing polygon of air to be directed by the array of air jets on the target object based at least in part on the classification of the target object; and wherein the array of air jets is configured to perform a sorting operation on the target object as the target object is translated across the array of air jets based at least in part on the modified two-dimensional firing polygon.