Patent ID: 11919549
Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A system comprising:
a set of rails comprising a linear rail section, a right-hand curved rail section, and a left-hand curved rail section;
a shuttle configured to transport individual items from a first location to a second location using the set of rails;
a first flexible rail component comprising:
an elongated spring steel plate;
a first rail track component coupled to the elongated spring steel plate;
a second rail track component coupled to the elongated spring steel plate and disposed adjacent to the first rail track component; and
a third rail track component coupled to the elongated spring steel plate and disposed adjacent to the second rail track component, wherein the first rail track component, the second rail track component, and the third rail track component are electromagnetic rail track components;
wherein the first flexible rail component is configured to be actuated from a first position aligned with the linear rail section, to a second position aligned with the right- hand curved rail section, and to a third position aligned with the left-hand curved rail section; and
wherein a distance between the first rail track component and the second rail track component when the first flexible rail component is in the second position is less than when the first flexible rail component is in the first position; and

a second flexible rail component disposed adjacent to the first flexible rail component,, the second flexible rail component having a shorter length than the first flexible rail component.