System and method for storing and sequencing luggage items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10279911-B2
Application number	US-201615289786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2016
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for storing and sequencing a plurality of luggage items. The system includes containers with vertically stacked shelves and an automatic guided vehicle releasably attachable to the containers for transporting a container between a first predetermined area and a loading area with a loading assembly to move a luggage item from an entrance conveyor onto one of the shelves of the container. The containers may include wheels for being manually moved. A transport vehicle is provided for moving a plurality of containers together. The method includes determining a grouping criterion of the luggage item and sorting and sequencing luggage items onto containers according to the grouping criterion. Different embodiments of the loading assembly are provided with one using a packing automated vehicle and another using stacked platform conveyors. Several grouping criteria are provided which may depend on processing requirements of the luggage items.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for storing and sequencing a plurality of luggage items, said method comprising:
receiving a luggage item into a loading area from an entrance conveyor;
determining a grouping criterion of the luggage item;
providing a plurality of containers each including a plurality of shelves being vertically stacked on top of one another and supported by a first chassis;
determining by a control system if any container within the plurality of containers is associated with the grouping criterion of the luggage item and is an available container being in a location proximate to said loading area and having at least one available shelf with capacity to hold the luggage item;
designating by the control system an available container that is associated with the grouping criterion of the luggage item as a preferred container;
designating by the control system an available container not associated with the grouping criterion of the luggage item as the preferred container if no container of the plurality of containers is determined to be both an available container and associated with the grouping criterion of the luggage item;
attaching a carrier automatic guided vehicle to the preferred container;
loading the luggage item from the entrance conveyor onto an available shelf of the preferred container; and
moving the container with the luggage item by the carrier automatic guided vehicle along a first pathway to a first predetermined area.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of moving the container with the luggage item to a second predetermined area.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container includes first wheels; and
the method further includes the step of moving the container manually and without a carrier automatic guided vehicle being attached to the container.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shelves each have two opposite sides, and wherein the step of loading the luggage item onto an available shelf of the preferred container further includes:
loading the luggage item onto the available shelf of the preferred container from either one of the two opposite sides.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of loading the luggage item onto an available shelf of the preferred container further includes:
moving the luggage manually onto an available shelf of the preferred container.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including a loading assembly that includes a packing automatic guided vehicle having a fourth chassis, a first transfer device, and a lifting mechanism interconnecting the fourth chassis and the first transfer device and providing movement of the first transfer device relative to the fourth chassis;
wherein the step of loading the luggage item onto an available shelf of the preferred container further includes:
moving the luggage item from the entrance conveyor onto the first transfer device of the packing automatic guided vehicle;
moving the packing automatic guided vehicle along a second pathway and adjacent to the preferred container;
moving the first transfer device into alignment with a selected one of the shelves of the container with the lifting mechanism; and
moving the luggage item from the packing automatic guided vehicle onto the selected shelf of the preferred container with the first transfer device.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the method further includes the step of coupling the packing automatic guided vehicle with the preferred container to prevent relative motion therebetween prior to moving the luggage item from the packing automatic guided vehicle onto the selected shelf of the preferred container with the first transfer device.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including a loading assembly including a plurality of platform conveyors disposed in a vertically stacked relationship with one another with each of the platform conveyors disposed at the same height as one of the shelves of the container, a loading conveyor extending from the entrance conveyor and pivotable relative to the entrance conveyor for alignment with each of the platform conveyors, and a plurality of second transfer devices each disposed at the same height as a corresponding one of the platform conveyors;
wherein the step of loading the luggage item onto an available shelf of the preferred container further includes:
pivoting the loading conveyor into alignment with a selected one of the platform conveyors corresponding to the available shelf;
moving the luggage item from the entrance conveyor to the selected one of the platform conveyors with the loading conveyor; and
moving the luggage item from the selected one of the platform conveyors onto the available shelf of the preferred container with the second transfer device.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the grouping criterion is based upon the luggage items belonging to one or more passengers traveling together with a shared reservation.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the grouping criterion is based upon processing requirements of the luggage items.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the processing requirements of the luggage items include a security inspection or a customs inspection.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the processing requirements of the luggage items include the luggage items being associated with a common departure time window.

13. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the processing requirements of the luggage items include the luggage items being associated with a first transportation means having a common destination; and
the common destination being a final destination and the luggage items being designated to be made available for claim at the common destination and not being designated for transfer to a second transportation means.

14. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the processing requirements of the luggage items include the luggage items being associated with a first transportation means having a common first destination; and
the luggage items being designated for transfer to a second transportation means upon arrival at the common first destination.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the processing requirements of the luggage items also include the luggage items being designated for a common intermediate destination following said common first destination.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the processing requirements of the luggage items also include the luggage items being designated for a common final destination following said common first destination.

17. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the method further includes the step of moving a plurality of containers together by a transport vehicle.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 further including the steps of moving one of the containers with a carrier automatic guided vehicle adjacent to another one of the containers such that the containers are aligned in a first direction as adjacent and aligned containers;
disengaging the carrier automatic guided vehicle from the one of the containers and moving the carrier automatic guided vehicle free of the one of the containers in a second direction transverse to the first direction; and
engaging the adjacent and aligned containers with a transport vehicle and moving the adjacent and aligned containers together with the transport vehicle in the first direction.

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Assignees

• Murphy Christopher
• Schmit Robertus A
• Fleming Michael
• Webb Co Jervis B
• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Murphy Christopher
• Schmit Robertus A
• Fleming Michael

Classifications

• B65G1/10

  with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles {(cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02)} · CPC title

• B64F1/368

  Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage · CPC title

• B64D11/003 Primary

  Stowage devices for passengers' personal luggage · CPC title

• G05D1/021

  specially adapted to land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D2201/0216

  Physics · mapped topic