Patent ID: 11858676
Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 7:
8. A system for assembling merchandise orders in containers, the system comprising:
an order including a plurality of merchandise items to be assembled in at least one container;
a predetermined set of containers defining different sizes and including at least two different types of containers, a first type of container comprising boxes and a second type of container comprising deformable bags, each of a plurality of types of merchandise items corresponding to one of the at least two different types of containers and corresponding to a level of protection for transport of the type of merchandise item;
a control circuit configured to:
receive notification of the order including the plurality of merchandise items;
select a first type of container from the at least two types of containers to receive a first subset of the plurality of merchandise items;
determine the first subset of the plurality of merchandise items to be received in the selected type of container, each of the merchandise items in the first subset corresponding to the selected type of container and the corresponding level of protection for transport of the type of merchandise item;
select a size of the selected type of container to receive the first subset of the plurality of merchandise items; and
instruct disposition of the first subset of the plurality of merchandise items within the selected type and size of container;

wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
receive an input set of flat bags, each flat bag having two dimensions;
calculate deformation of each flat bag to generate a set of deformable bags of different volumes for each flat bag, each deformable bag in the set having an associated volume; and
select a deformable bag in the set to receive the first subset of the plurality of merchandise items.