Patents Examined by Michael McCullough
  • Patent number: 11919010
    Abstract: A process. The process includes forming a slurry comprising electrode active material particles of one or more lithium-ion electrochemical cells, magnetizing the electrode active material particles and separating the magnetized electrode active material particles from the slurry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: RSR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy W. Ellis, Joshua A. Montenegro
  • Patent number: 11920214
    Abstract: Plants and methods recover spent refractory material and comprise at least one receiving area for said refractory material, at least one material sieving area, at least one magnetic separation area, and at least one sorting area. Said receiving area communicates with a first sieving area divides said refractory material in at least two fractions based on sizes of said refractory material. A second sieving area divides a fine fraction into at least two sub-fractions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: DEREF S.P.A.
    Inventors: Giorgio Fasolini, Marc Faverjon
  • Patent number: 11919046
    Abstract: A method of sorting an electronic device includes receiving first data generated by a test tool that is performing a test operation on the electronic device according to a test program, and a provisional binning assignment for the electronic device determined from the first data. The method also includes defining a permanent binning assignment for the electronic device based at least in part on applying a first algorithm and a second algorithm to the first data, the first algorithm and the second algorithm being different. The method further includes outputting the permanent binning assignment so that after the test operation is completed, the electronic device is removed from the test tool and placed in one of a plurality of bins according to the permanent binning assignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Optimal Plus Ltd.
    Inventors: Reed Linde, Gill Balog
  • Patent number: 11919725
    Abstract: A parcel handling and tracking system allows an all-around scanning of identifying features thanks to a scanning window, where the parcels are configured to sit at the scanning window on a resting surface of the parcel itself. The scanning window is light permeable to allow reading of the identifying features at the resting surface, possibly together with other identifying features at surfaces of the parcel other than the resting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Fameccanica.Data S.p.A.
    Inventor: Anselmo Cicchitti
  • Patent number: 11911803
    Abstract: An automated sorting and packing system is described. In an example implementation, the system may include a transfer station that transfers an item into a shipping carton, one or more conveyors that convey the item and/or carton to a transfer station, a scanner that scans the item, and a processor communicatively coupled with the scanner and the one or more conveyors. According to some implementations, the system may perform operations including determining a carton identifier associated with a carton based on an order, assigning a transfer station to the order and the carton identifier based on scan data identifying an item, transporting the item to the transfer station using a conveyor, and transferring the item from the conveyor to a carton associated with the carton identifier using the transfer station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Calem Harris, Sebastian Mora, Grant Tucker, Arun Kumar Ranganathan Jagannathan, Carl Skantze, Arnold Tsoka, Mario Faulkner
  • Patent number: 11911797
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for multi-path sorting systems that facilitate package sorting for delivery and near-real time changes to sortation for rerouting of the packages. The package sorting system may include conventional conveyor systems that deliver packages to multi-path conveyors (e.g., multi-path conveyor belts) that may cause the package to be moved in multiple directions to ultimately deposit a package onto an output conveyor system for delivery to a downstream location (e.g., packaging station, sorting station, etc.). The input conveyors may include a sensor for determining information about the package (e.g., destination address, order information, etc.) which may be used to determine the optimal downstream route for the package, which may be adjusted as conditions change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajeev Dwivedi, Kaushal Bharatkumar Mehta, Ameya Abhyankar
  • Patent number: 11904362
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for the analysis and/or sorting of scrap metal, more particularly of scrap aluminium, in which a quantity of scrap metal, more particularly aluminium scrap, in the form of a scrap bundle or a group of scrap bundles is provided, in which method the scrap bundle or the group of scrap bundles is irradiated by at least one neutron source, the gamma radiation emitted by the scrap bundle or by the group of scrap bundles is captured by at least one detector, and composition information relating to the composition of the scrap bundle or the group of scrap bundles is determined on the basis of the gamma radiation captured by the at least one detector. The disclosure further relates to a device for analysing and/or sorting scrap metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Hydro Aluminium Recycling Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Ronald Gillner, Nils Robert Bauerschlag
  • Patent number: 11897701
    Abstract: An automated packing system, which may include a transfer station is described. In an example implementation, system may include an item-consolidation area that receives items, a carton receiving area that receives a carton, and a structure that holds the item-consolidation area vertically higher than the carton-receiving area. The system may also include a passage between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area. The passage that may allow the items to pass from the item-consolidation area and the carton in the carton-receiving area. The system may include an actuation mechanism that controls movement of the items between the item-consolidation area and the carton-receiving area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Calem Harris, Sebastian Mora, Grant Tucker, Arun Kumar Ranganathan Jagannathan, Carl Skantze, Arnold Tsoka, Mario Faulkner
  • Patent number: 11898408
    Abstract: Systems and methods for separating paramagnetic material in wellbore return fluid. A quadrupole magnet system is disposed along conduit so that a paramagnetic field is symmetrically formed about a central axis of the conduit. A wellbore return fluid containing paramagnetic material is directed through the conduit. The paramagnetic field drives the paramagnetic material outward towards the perimeter of the conduit, thereby concentrating fluid with little or no paramagnetic material along the central axis of the conduit. An outlet is disposed along the flow path of a portion of the concentrated fluid. In some embodiments, the outlet is positioned along the central axis, while in other embodiments, the outlet is positioned along the conduit wall. The paramagnetic material may be weighting material used to prepare drilling mud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale E. Jamison, William W. Shumway
  • Patent number: 11891896
    Abstract: The system extracts water from lunar regolith and includes a regolith intake having a digging bucket that collects lunar regolith soil and a gravel separator that separates and discharges gravel and passes a mixture of ice-regolith powder having ice grains that are about 10-100 microns along the conveyor. A pneumatic separator receives the ice-regolith powder and pneumatically splits the ice-regolith powder into streams of different sized lithic fragments and ice particles per the ratio of inertial force and aerodynamic drag force of the lithic fragments and ice particles. Each split stream may include a magnetic separator that separates further the magnetic and paramagnetic lithic fragments from ice particles to discharge up to 80 percent of lithic fragments to slag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventor: Philip Metzger
  • Patent number: 11892417
    Abstract: Automatic detection of mechanical defects in piece parts, such as floor covering planks, enables removal of the defective parts off an inspection path. A bypass conveyor system enables defective parts to be transported beyond or around a manual inspection, enabling personnel performing the subsequent inspection to focus on appearance defects. Once the remaining parts have been inspected by a manual process, the parts transported by the bypass conveyor system are returned to the production line. Defective parts may be distinguished by a marking capability that provides the ability to mark according to a variety of classes of defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: COLUMBIA INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard Glassell, Chad Christman, Alex Epstein
  • Patent number: 11883855
    Abstract: A ply sorting device is disclosed, comprising a picker and a buffer. The picker is arranged to pick planar plies of cut fiber material and move them to the buffer. The buffer comprises a plurality of substantially planar supports each arranged to receive phes from the picker and to support the plies in planar orientation. The planar supports are movably arranged relative to each other to receive the plies. In addition, a method of sorting plies of differing geometry is disclosed. Planar plies of cut fiber material are picked and moved to supports of a buffer where plies are received in a planar orientation, and supports are moved relative to each other to receive the plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Airborne International B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Theodorus Arnoldus van Overbeek, Casper Marinus Hofstede, Johannes Paul van Sighem, Tjalling Stelma
  • Patent number: 11885730
    Abstract: To provide a droplet forming technology capable of stably sorting a droplet. Provided is a microparticle sorting device provided with a voltage supply unit that supplies a drive voltage to a vibration element that applies a vibration to an orifice that generates a fluid stream, a control unit that controls a driving condition supplied to the vibration element on the basis of a relative relationship between a droplet discharged from the orifice and a satellite droplet present between droplets, and a sorting unit that sorts the droplet containing microparticles on the basis of optical information detected from the microparticles flowing through a flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventor: Fumitaka Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11872595
    Abstract: Disclosed are a wet sorting process for a waste lithium battery and application thereof, which belong to the field of battery material recycling. The wet sorting process includes the following steps of carrying out wet ball milling on a sorting material of a waste lithium battery to obtain a ball-milled product, screening the ball-milled product to obtain a coarse-grained screened material, a medium-grained screened material and a fine-grained screened material, carrying out wet ball milling, screening, magnetic separation and table concentration on the medium-grained screened material to obtain copper, aluminum and a steel shell, and carrying out flotation, magnetic separation and table concentration on the fine-grained screened material to obtain cathode material powder, graphite, copper and aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: HUNAN BRUNP RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., GUANGDONG BRUNP RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., HUNAN BRUNP EV RECYCLING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jieming Zhao, Qinxue Gong, Ruokui Chen, Qiang Li, Changdong Li
  • Patent number: 11865587
    Abstract: Discussed is a battery cell sorting apparatus including a battery cell pickup member configured to move a battery cell to a desired position; and a guide member configured to guide the battery cell pickup member in a first direction, wherein the battery cell pickup member includes: a pickup body portion, a magnet located at a lower surface of the pickup body portion, the magnet being configured to lift the battery cell, and a voltage measurement unit located at a lower surface of the magnet, the voltage measurement unit being configured to measure a voltage of the battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventor: Jin Woo Ku
  • Patent number: 11865582
    Abstract: The present invention provides a combination screening apparatus for screening a mixed material into three graded streams, comprising a disc screen wholly, substantially or partly located within a rotary drum screen. The present invention may be conveniently arranged on a mobile chassis with a simple arrangement of a feed hopper to feed a feed end, and a layered or stacked configuration for the discharge of the so-formed graded streams at a discharge end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Portafill International Limited
    Inventor: Malachy James Rafferty
  • Patent number: 11865549
    Abstract: A ferro-magnetic material recovery system includes a drum rotating within a magnet housing. An array of magnets mounted within the magnet housing have corresponding magnetic fields which decrease in strength in the direction of rotation of the drum to extract the material from a slurry flowing through the drum. Flow deflectors may be mounted in the drum. The array of magnets may form a magnetic core having magnetic fields that are radially aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventors: David Roger Miles, Peter Thomas Watson
  • Patent number: 11865586
    Abstract: Pieces of luggage are sorted which each carries an identification element with a set of information in the form of plaintext. In order to sort pieces of luggage efficiently, at least a portion of the set of information on the identification element is detected automatically and recognized automatically. During an examination, it is automatically verified whether the recognized portion of the set of information matches at least one set of data stored in a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Logistics GmbH
    Inventors: Gisbert Berger, Svetlozar Delianski, Ulrich Dengler, Joerg Rottland
  • Patent number: 11858010
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for associating an asset with a sort location, the system comprising a conveyor belt assembly and a user device configured to be worn by a user. The conveyor belt assembly comprises: an acquisition device and a plurality of stripes defining a non-repeating pattern, the plurality of stripes comprising a plurality of unique sets of stripes. The acquisition device is configured to capture image data comprising asset identifier data and conveyor mechanism data, the conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes. The user device is configured to capture conveyor mechanism data including one of the plurality of unique sets of stripes; remotely receive asset identifier data associated with the user device captured conveyor mechanism data; and generate and display to the user, relative to the asset, at least one visual indicator of one or more sort instructions for the asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Julio Gil
  • Patent number: 11857979
    Abstract: A highbanker may be used with sluice mats to separate heavier metals from placer deposit. The highbanker includes a hopper assembly, a trough assembly, a brace member, and a plurality of legs. The trough assembly includes first and second trough sections. The first trough section includes a first surface and is pivotably connected to the hopper assembly. The second trough section includes a second surface, with the second trough section being removably attachable to the first trough section. The brace member extends between the trough assembly and the hopper assembly. The plurality of legs is removably attachable to the trough assembly. In an assembled configuration, the second trough section is attached to the first trough section so that the first surface and the second surface define a substantially continuous surface for accepting the sluice mats. In a nested configuration, the second trough section is nested within the first trough section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventor: Cyle Haddon