Patent ID: 11926486
Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 3:
4. A package sorting apparatus comprising:
a rail;
a first chute provided below the rail;
a second chute provided on a side of the rail;
a conveyance apparatus including a conveyance apparatus main body and a conveyance assisting apparatus,
the conveyance apparatus main body including:
a first base portion movably supported by the rail and
a door portion that is rotatably supported by the first base portion and that is configured to be opened and closed between a closed position where a package is placed on the door portion and an open position where the package is fed into the first chute,
the conveyance assisting apparatus including:
a placement portion having a placement surface on which a package is placed,
a second base portion fixed to the conveyance apparatus main body,
a support portion that is provided on the second base portion and supports the placement portion so that the placement portion is movable in a first direction between a first position where the placement portion covers the door portion and a second position where the placement portion uncovers the door portion to feed the package into the second chute,
a moving device that is provided on the second base portion and is configured to move the placement portion, and
a projecting portion that is provided on the placement surface and extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction;

a first device that is provided along the rail and is configured to open the door portion at a timing when the conveyance apparatus passes through the first device;
a second device that is provided along the rail and is configured to operate the moving device at a timing when the conveyance apparatus passes through the second device; and
a control device that is configured to control the first device and the second device.