Rehrig Pacific Company

Several embodiments disclose a pallet bin having a base and a plurality of walls pivotably secured to the base. One or more of the walls may have an access opening therein and the access opening may or may not have a door selectively covering the access opening. The walls may be designed to avoid trapping food, dirt and bacteria and to be easily washed.

A computer system receives an image of a package in the computer system, wherein the image includes at least one face of the package. The computer system may determine a normal vector of each of the at least one face of the package in the image. The computer system determines a SKU associated with the package based upon the normal vector and the image. The computer system compares the determined SKU with at least one of a plurality of desired SKUs. In other embodiments various embodiments of validation systems are described. An autonomous mobile robot that can be used with a validation system is also described.

A heavy duty container includes a plastic base having a plurality of vertical corrugations. A separate plastic liner is placed inside the base. The liner is smooth to allow materials to fall out easy and not catch or build up in corners. The container can be moved with a fork lift and serviced with a front loader truck.

A pallet loading and validation system provides several features that are particularly beneficial in the context of a conveyor product distribution system, such as a pallet loading system, although some features are not exclusive to a conveyor system. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method for identifying a SKU of a package using a computer system having at least one processor, the method including: (a) taking at least one image of a package on a conveyor; (b) receiving the at least one image in the computer system; and (c) based upon the at least one image, the computer system determining a SKU associated with the package.

A pallet includes an upper structure and a lower structure. The upper structure includes an upper deck and a plurality of upper column portions projecting downward from the upper deck. The lower structure includes a plurality of lower column portions. The upper column portions and the lower column portions are configured such that the upper deck is configured at first height when the upper structure is secured to the lower structure in a first orientation and the upper deck is configured at a second height when the upper structure is secured to the lower structure at a second orientation. Optionally, the upper deck of the pallet includes a plurality of perimeter regions into which a desired one of a plurality of inserts can be secured to produce pallets with different perimeter options.

A pallet lift includes a base and a deck extending forward of the base. Load wheels support the deck. A platform above the deck is pivotable relative to the base. The platform has an upper support surface for supporting objects thereon. The platform may be pivoted as the pallet lift travels on an inclined surface, such as a truck ramp, in order to keep the platform relatively level relative to gravity to increase stability.

A delivery portal, which may be at a loading dock, includes a sensor configured to detect a pallet, platform or stack of goods as it passes through the portal. A computer is programmed to receive information from the sensor and to identify the pallet based upon the information. The computer is further programmed to compare the identified pallet to a database to determine if the identified pallet should be passing through the portal. For example, the computer determines whether the pallet is being loaded onto the wrong truck or onto the right truck but in the wrong sequence. The sensor for detecting the pallet may be an RFID sensor reading an RFID tag on the pallets. The portal may be a loading dock. The database may indicate a sequence for loading a plurality of pallets including the identified pallet onto a truck at the loading dock.

A collapsible container includes a base including a first cam surface, a second cam surface, and a third cam surface. A hinge permits vertical translation of a wall relative to the base. The wall includes a first follower, a second follower, and a third follower, wherein the first follower is configured to contact the first cam surface during a first angular interval, wherein the second follower is configured to contact the second cam surface during a second angular interval, and wherein the third follower is configured to contact the third cam surface during a third angular interval. A retractable wall may include a pair of vertical portions defining an opening therebetween. An upper portion and a lower portion may be pivotably connected to the pair of vertical portions. A link having an arm may be pivotably connected to the upper portion and pivotably connected to the lower portion.

A pallet assembly includes a pallet and an interlock panel. The pallet includes a deck and a plurality of feet extending downward from the deck. The interlock panel is receivable on the deck and has a plurality of concave surfaces formed thereon, each configured to receive a horizontally-oriented keg thereon.

A pallet sled includes a pair of tines extending forward from a base. A load wheel supports each of the pair of tines. The load wheels are each configured to move away from the respective tine to lift the respective tine upward relative to a support surface on which the load wheel is supported. A processor on the pallet sled records usage of the sled, such as lift cycles, location over time, battery condition, lift height, weight lifted, distance traveled, and the like. A communication circuit may be configured to send data from the pallet sled to a remote server. An identification reader may be configured to read an identification tag of an object supported on the pair of tines, such as an rfid tag on a pallet.