Patent ID: 11911803
Assignee: STAPLES, INC.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 20:
21. An automated item-sorting system, comprising:
means for receiving scan data identifying a first item on one or more first conveyors;
means for determining an order associated with the first item based on the scan data identifying the first item, the order being associated with the first item and a second item;
means for determining a carton identifier associated with a carton based on the order;
means for assigning a transfer station to the order and the carton identifier based on the scan data identifying the first item;
means for transporting the first item and the second item to the transfer station using the one or more first conveyors;
means for diverting the first item and the second item to a corner of a consolidation area of the transfer station, the corner of the consolidation area holding the first item and the second item simultaneously, the second item having been transported to the consolidation area using the one or more first conveyors, the carton being positioned in a carton-receiving area of the transfer station and below an aperture at the corner of the consolidation area; and
means for transferring the first item and the second item from the one or more first conveyors to the carton associated with the carton identifier using the transfer station including causing the first item and the second item to pass through the aperture from the consolidation area to the carton.