Sorting Apparatus with Arbitrary User-Specified Sequence Control

Abstract

A sorting system may include a sorting apparatus coupled to a programmable control system which is configured to actuate the sorting apparatus so that it assembles similar products for packaging in an arbitrary, user imposed order or selection bias. In preferred implementations, a user may activate a biasing protocol pursuant to which items bearing certain images appear with a disproportionate frequency on the top of a stack of items such that the selected images are the most common images viewable through a transparent product packaging. In certain implementations, empirical sales data is used to determine weighting factors used in the biasing protocol. In still other implementations, a more specific ordering protocol is imposed by a user such that some or all of the sequence of items in a stack or collection is arbitrarily imposed.

1 . A material-handling system for creating a sorted arrangement of image-bearing items, comprising:
 a controller to receive user input indicative of a preference associated with a top surface image borne on at least one image-bearing item to be arranged in a stack of image-bearing items;   a plurality of channels to receive said image-bearing items in a first sequence, said items bearing a plurality of distinct images;   a plurality of dispensers coupled to the channels to selectively dispense said image-bearing items in a second sequence different from the first sequence according to said preference associated with the top surface image; and   a collater coupled to the dispensers to stack the image-bearing items in an order consistent with the preference associated with the top surface image borne on at least one of the items.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the image-bearing items are selected from a group consisting of plates, greeting cards, and stationery, the user input indicating a selected image-bearing item that is to be preferentially positioned on top of the stack of image-bearing items. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the channels include conveyors and the dispensers include stop members coupled to reciprocating members that are actuated in response to a signal received from the controller. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the collater includes a stacking apparatus and a conveyor. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a wrapper to package the stack of image-bearing items with a packaging material that is at least partially transparent such that at least one of the images is viewable through said packaging material. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the image-bearing items are plates having images displayed on top surfaces of the plates. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preference with the top surface image is derived from purchaser selection data of the top surface image positioned on top of the stack of image-bearing items. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the purchaser selection data reflects relative sales of packages of image-bearing items having different images viewable through product packaging. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user input specifies positions of a plurality of the image-bearing items in the arrangement. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the order is at least partially randomized but statistically weighted according to the user input such that the image-bearing items viewable on top of the stacks are disproportionately ordered consistent with the preference. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising holding units in the channels to deliver items to the dispensers when each of the holding units contains a predetermined number of image-bearing items. 
   
   
       12 . A material-handling system for creating a sorted arrangement of image-bearing items, comprising:
 a controller to receive user input indicative of a selected image-bearing item that is to be preferentially positioned on a top of a sorted arrangement of image-bearing items;   a plurality of channels to receive a plurality of the image-bearing items, the plurality of image-bearing items bearing a plurality of distinct images and being selected from a group consisting of plates, greeting cards, and stationery;   a plurality of dispensers coupled to the channels to sort the plurality of image-bearing items in an order at least partially defined by said user input;   a collater coupled to the dispensers to arrange the image-bearing items into a stack to be packaged; and   a packager to receive the stack of the image-bearing items and secure the stack with packaging material that is at least partially transparent such that a top surface image of the item positioned on top of the stack is viewable through said packaging material.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the channels include conveyors and the dispensers include stop members coupled to reciprocating members that are actuated in response to a signal received from the controller. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the collater includes a stacking apparatus and a conveyor. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising holding units in the channels to deliver items to the dispensers when each of the holding units contains a predetermined number of image-bearing items 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of image-bearing items comprises plates, each plate having one image from a set of distinct images displayed on a top surface of the plate. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the collater arranges the image-bearing items into an order that is at least partially randomized but statistically weighted according to the user input such that the image-bearing items viewable on top of the packaged stacks are disproportionately ordered consistent with the user input. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the user input indicative of the selected image-bearing item that is to be preferentially positioned on the top of the sorted arrangement is at least partially derived from purchaser selection data. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the purchaser selection data reflects relative sales of packages of image-bearing items having different images viewable through product packaging.