Patent · US Expired

Inventory assembly work station table

US5337473A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
5References
23Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 3, 1993
Grant dateAug 16, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 3, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/53087
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A work station table wherein inventory articles to be integrated into a product are placed on the table, with each type of article being located next to one of a plurality of detector cards set in the table (one type of article per card). Each detector card is capable of detecting movement, and when an operator reaches across a detector card to retrieve the inventory article located next to that sensor, the movement of his or her hand or selected article is detected by the sensor. The movement causes a light emitting diode (LED) in the detector card to light, thereby indicating that the inventory article corresponding to that detector card has been selected. The table further includes an accumulator card having an LED display and numbers corresponding to each of the detector cards. In addition to registering at each of the sensors, retrieval of an article from a particular inventory point will cause a corresponding number to light on the accumulator card. Upon completion of one selection cycle, the system is manually reset and the process is repeated. If an inventory point has been missed (as indicated by the corresponding LED on the detector card and accumulator card not being lit…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.