IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,948,802
Granted Patent B2
US 9,948,802 · App. 15/189,950 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Robotic document feeder

Inventors: Thomas Allen (Dallas, TX); Ravi Gattamaraju (Richardson, TX); Brian Gross (Wyomissing, PA); Dalton McFarling (Fairview, TX); Hiep Nguyen (McKinney, TX); Dale Remmers (Plano, TX); Ashish Thapa (Irving, TX)
Assignee: Mentalix, Inc.
H04N1/00591B25J15/0616B65H1/04B65H1/14B65H1/18B65H3/0816B65H3/0883B65H5/10B65H29/241B65H31/02H04N1/0062H04N1/00551H04N1/00559H04N1/00588H04N1/00607H04N1/04B65H2301/4212B65H2403/544B65H2406/34B65H2406/3661B65H2555/30B65H2801/39
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,948,802
App. No.
15/189,950
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system may include a robotic arm and a Bernoulli cup assembly powered by a vacuum source and coupled to the robotic arm. The Bernoulli cup assembly may lift a document, and the robotic arm may move the Bernoulli cup assembly with the lifted document to a document scanner for imaging the document. The system may further include an input bin, a base supported by a platform and disposed over an imaging surface of the document scanner, and an output bin. A method may include lifting a document from an input bin via suction pressure using a Bernoulli cup assembly, robotically moving the Bernoulli cup assembly with the lifted document to a document scanner, and scanning the document. The method may further include robotically moving the Bernoulli cup assembly with the lifted document away from the document scanner, and de-activating the suction pressure to release the document.

Claims (11)

1. A system comprising:

a robotic arm operable to move linearly but not rotationally;

a Bernoulli cup assembly powered by a vacuum source and coupled to the robotic arm, wherein when the vacuum source is activated, the Bernoulli cup assembly creates sufficient suction pressure to lift a document and wherein the robotic arm is configured to move the Bernoulli cup assembly with the lifted document to a document scanner for imaging the document;

a platform with legs supporting a base positioned over an imaging surface of the document scanner, wherein the base comprises a designated scan area formed as a through opening in the base; and

a slide mechanism operable, via a rack-and-pinion mechanism in mechanical communication with a servo motor, to be retracted to a first position below a portion of the base and to be extended to a second position across the through opening of the base.

2. A system comprising:

a robotic arm operable to move linearly but not rotationally, the robotic arm coupled to a Bernoulli cup assembly powered by a vacuum source;

an input bin for storing at least one document;

an output bin;

a base disposed over an imaging surface of a document scanner and supported by a platform, wherein the base comprises a designated scan area through which a document may be imaged by the document scanner; and

a slide mechanism operable, via a rack-and-pinion mechanism in mechanical communication with a servo motor, to be retracted to a first position below a portion of the base and to be extended to a second position across the designated scan area.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2016
From: MCFARLING, DALTON
To: MENTALIX, INC.
Reel/Frame 040020/0888 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2016
From: THAPA, ASHISH
To: MENTALIX, INC.
Reel/Frame 040020/0913 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2016
From: REMMERS, DALE
To: MENTALIX, INC.
Reel/Frame 038996/0130 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2016
From: NGUYEN, HIEP
To: MENTALIX, INC.
Reel/Frame 038996/0341 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2016
From: GROSS, BRIAN
To: MENTALIX, INC.
Reel/Frame 038996/0427 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 15080045 · Mar 24, 2016
Provisional Application 62138814 · Mar 26, 2015
Related Publication 20160304303A1 · Oct 20, 2016