Storage system, use and method with robotic parcel retrieval and loading onto a delivery vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10343286-B2
Application number	US-201715828722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2017
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A storage system (100) is adapted to store a plurality of items and to load a delivery robot (2) with an item. The storage system (100) includes a delivery robot level (110), at least one storage level (112, 114, 116, 118) for storing the items, and a loading robot (130) adapted to grip the items and to load the items from a storage level (112, 114, 116, 118) to a delivery robot (2) located on the delivery robot level (110). The storage system (100) is adapted to move the items within a storage level (112, 114, 116, 118). The storage system may be provided with wheels and thus be mobile. It may be loaded onto a vehicle for transport from a loading area where the storage system is loaded with items for delivery, to a delivery area where the items are to be delivered by one or more delivery robots.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage system ( 100 ) adapted to store a plurality of items and to load a delivery robot ( 2 ) with any one of said plurality of items for delivery to a destination, wherein the storage system ( 100 ) comprises:
a delivery robot level ( 110 ),
at least one storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) for storing the items, the at least one storage level being different from the delivery robot level ( 110 ), and
a loading robot ( 130 ) adapted to retrieve a given item from a storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) and then load the retrieved item to a delivery robot ( 2 ) located on the delivery robot level ( 110 ),
wherein the storage system ( 100 ) is adapted to move the given item within said storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) towards a pre-loading location in which the given item is accessible to the loading robot ( 130 );
wherein the loading robot ( 130 ) comprises a base ( 130 a ), a vertically extending body ( 130 b ) connected to the base ( 130 a ), and a gripping mechanism ( 140 ) extending outwardly from the vertically extending body and having at least two orthogonal axes of movement;
wherein the delivery robot ( 2 ) is a mobile delivery robot comprising a motion component ( 320 ); and
wherein the delivery robot ( 2 ) is configured to operate in an outdoor environment and deliver the retrieved item to a delivery recipient at a delivery address.

2. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the storage system ( 100 ) comprises a plurality of storage levels ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) for storing items.

3. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the delivery robot level ( 110 ) is a ground level; and
all of said plurality of storage levels ( 112 , 114 , 116 ) are above the delivery robot level.

4. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , comprising only a single delivery robot level ( 110 ).

5. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one port ( 104 ) through which the delivery robot ( 2 ) enters and/or exits the storage system ( 100 ).

6. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , comprising:
an entry port ( 104 ) through which the delivery robot ( 2 ) enters the storage system ( 100 ) to be loaded with an item for delivery; and
an exit port ( 104 ) through which the delivery robot ( 2 ) exits the storage system ( 100 ) after being loaded with said item for delivery, the exit port ( 104 ) being separate from the entry port ( 104 ).

7. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein, after entering through the port ( 104 ), the delivery robot is located within a footprint of the storage system ( 100 ).

8. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the loading robot ( 130 ) comprises three axes of movement ( 132 , 134 , 136 ).

9. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 8 , wherein:
the storage system ( 100 ) comprises a sensor ( 170 ) for sensing a location of an object to be gripped by the gripping mechanism ( 140 ), and
the sensor ( 170 ) is mounted on the loading robot ( 130 ).

10. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the loading robot ( 130 ) is adapted to grip the given item and load the gripped item to the delivery robot ( 2 ).

11. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the items are stored in boxes ( 120 );
the loading robot ( 130 ) is adapted to grip a box ( 120 ) and load the gripped box ( 120 ) to the delivery robot ( 2 ); and
the storage system ( 100 ) is adapted to move any one of the boxes ( 120 ) within a storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) towards said pre-loading location, such that said box is accessible to the loading robot ( 130 ).

12. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one shuffle robot ( 150 ) adapted to move an object within a storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) to said pre-loading location, such that the object is accessible to the loading robot ( 130 ).

13. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 12 , wherein:
the items are stored in boxes ( 120 );
the at least one storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) comprises a plurality of supports ( 160 ) for supporting the boxes ( 120 );
the shuffle robot ( 150 ) comprises an actuator ( 154 ) that is adapted to assume a retracted configuration and an extended configuration for lifting a box ( 120 ); and
the shuffle robot ( 150 ) has a first height in the retracted configuration and a second height in the extended configuration, the first height being smaller than a height of the supports ( 160 ) and the second height being greater than the height of the supports ( 160 ), and

a difference between the second height and the first height is in the range of 5 mm to 100 mm.

14. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of storage levels ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) for storing items;
at least one shuffle robot ( 150 ) adapted to move an object within a storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 ) to said pre-loading location;
an entry port ( 104 ) through which the delivery robot ( 2 ) enters the storage system ( 100 ) to be loaded with an item for delivery; and
an exit port ( 104 ) through which the delivery robot ( 2 ) exits the storage system ( 100 ) after being loaded with said item for delivery, the exit port ( 104 ) being separate from the entry port ( 104 ).

15. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 14 , wherein the loading robot ( 130 ) comprises:
three axes of movement ( 132 , 134 , 136 ); and
a sensor ( 170 ) for sensing a location of an object to be gripped by the gripping mechanism ( 140 ).

16. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 15 , wherein:
the items are stored in boxes ( 120 );
the loading robot ( 130 ) is adapted to grip a box ( 120 ) and load the gripped box ( 120 ) to the delivery robot ( 2 ).

17. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 16 , wherein:
the loading robot ( 130 ) is configured to grip and release the shuffle robot ( 150 ) to bring the shuffle robot ( 150 ) from one storage level to another, when the shuffle robot initially is in the pre-loading location of said one storage level.

18. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising wheels to facilitate transporting the storage system from a loading area where the storage system is loaded with items for delivery, to a delivery area where the items are to be delivered.

19. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the delivery robot level ( 110 ) is a ground level; and
the at least one storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 ) is above the delivery robot level.

20. The storage system ( 100 ) according to claim 19 , comprising only a single delivery robot level ( 110 ).

21. The storage system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the delivery robot level ( 110 ) and the at least one storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 ) are located within a housing ( 102 ), with the delivery robot level ( 110 ) being below the at least one storage level ( 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 );
the housing has at least one port ( 104 ) through which the delivery robot ( 2 ) is configured to enter within a footprint of the housing ( 102 ) at the delivery robot level ( 110 ) to be loaded with the retrieved item by the loading robot ( 130 ); and
the delivery robot ( 12 ) is configured to leave the footprint of the housing to deliver the retrieved item to the delivery recipient a

Assignees

• Starship Tech Oue

Inventors

• Väin Lauri
• Valdek Viljar
• Liivik Märt
• Lend Henri
• Liivik Tiit
• Herranen Henrik
• Heinla Ahti
• Evard Veigo
• Biene Tommy

Classifications

• B25J11/00

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G06Q10/08355

  Routing methods · CPC title

• B65G1/04

  mechanical · CPC title

• B25J11/008 Primary

  Manipulators for service tasks · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title