Order fulfillment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142398-B2
Application number	US-201715591956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

An order fulfillment system is disclosed including a multi-level tote storage structure, one or more autonomous mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote; one or more workstations configured to accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a “put” location, wherein the autonomous mobile robots are configured to move from level to level in the order fulfillment apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile robot for travelling within an order fulfillment center including a horizontal deck and one or more vertical storage racks, a vertical storage rack of the one or more storage racks including a plurality of horizontal rails, spaced apart from each other on respective levels of the vertical storage rack, and a pair of tracks, spaced apart from each other and extending between the plurality of levels of the vertical storage rack, the mobile robot comprising:
a plurality of horizontal traction drives configured to be driven to rotate to advance the mobile robot along a pair of spaced apart horizontal rails on a level of the vertical storage rack;
a plurality of vertical traction drives configured to be driven to rotate to advance the mobile robot along the pair of tracks, the plurality of vertical traction drives further configured to move between extended positions where the plurality of vertical traction drives engage with the pair of tracks to enable vertical movement of the mobile robot while the mobile robot is cantilevered off the pair of tracks, and retracted positions where the plurality of vertical traction drives do not obstruct travel of the mobile robot along the pair of horizontal rails past the pair of tracks; and
a drive motor;
the plurality of horizontal traction drives comprising a horizontal traction drive on a first side of the mobile robot, and the plurality of vertical traction drives comprising a vertical traction drive on the first side of the mobile robot,
wherein the horizontal traction drive is coaxial with the vertical traction drive, and the horizontal traction drive is extendible and retractable independently of the vertical traction drive.

2. A mobile robot as recited in claim 1 , wherein the horizontal traction drives are configured to move between extended positions where the plurality of horizontal traction drives engage the pair of horizontal rails to enable horizontal movement of the mobile robot, and retracted positions where the plurality of horizontal traction drives do not obstruct travel of the mobile robot along the pair of tracks past the pair of horizontal rails.

3. A mobile robot as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vertical traction drives comprise a pair of drive gears and a pair of counter bearings vertically spaced from the pair of drive gears, the pair of drive gears and the pair of counter bearings configured to engage opposed surfaces of the pair of tracks to maintain the mobile robot in a predefined orientation as it moves along the pair of tracks.

4. A mobile robot as recited in claim 3 , the pair of counter bearings further configured to move between extended positions where the pair of counter bearings engage the pair of tracks to enable vertical movement of the mobile robot, and retracted positions where the pair of counter bearings do not obstruct travel of the mobile robot along the pair of horizontal rails past the pair of tracks.

5. A mobile robot as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of horizontal traction drives comprise a pair of wheels positioned on opposed sides of the mobile robot.

6. A mobile robot as recited in claim 5 , the pair of wheels comprising a first pair of wheels, the mobile robot further comprising second and third pairs of wheels, each of the second and third pair of wheels positioned on opposed sides of the mobile robot.

7. A mobile robot as recited in claim 6 , wherein the pair of horizontal rails each include a gap aligned with the pair of tracks and through which gaps the plurality of vertical traction drives are configured to pass, a first wheel of each of the second and third pairs of wheels is configured to remain on the pair of horizontal rails while a second wheel of each of the second and third pairs of wheels is configured to pass over the gap.

8. A mobile robot as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vertical traction drives comprise a pair of drive gears on opposed sides of the mobile robot configured to engage gear tooth racks positioned in respective tracks of the pair of tracks.

9. A mobile robot as recited in claim 1 , wherein a first horizontal traction drive of the plurality of horizontal traction drives and a first vertical traction drive of the plurality of vertical traction drives are mounted on a common shaft and driven to rotate by a common motor.

10. A mobile robot as recited in claim 9 , wherein the shaft is mounted to translate with respect to the common motor.

11. A system for transporting items within an order fulfillment center including a horizontal deck and one or more vertical storage racks, a vertical storage rack of the one or more storage racks including a plurality of horizontal rails, spaced apart from each other on respective levels of the vertical storage rack, and a pair of tracks, spaced apart from each other and extending between the plurality of levels of the vertical storage rack, the system comprising:
support means for supporting the items during transport;
horizontal drive means for driving the support means along a pair of horizontal rails on a level of the vertical storage rack;
first retraction means for moving the horizontal drive means between an extended position where the horizontal drive means engages within the rails to enable horizontal movement of the support means, and a retracted position where the horizontal drive means does not engage with the rails;
vertical drive means for driving the support means along the pair of tracks with the support means supported at a single end of the support means;
second retraction means for moving the vertical drive means between an extended position where the vertical drive means engages within the pair of tracks to enable vertical movement of the support means, and a retracted position where the vertical drive means does not obstruct travel of the support means along the pair of horizontal rails past the pair of tracks;
wherein the horizontal drive means is coaxial with the vertical drive means, and the horizontal drive means is extendible and retractable independently of the vertical drive means.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising means for maintaining the support means in a horizontal position during travel along the pair of tracks.

13. A mobile robot for travelling within an order fulfillment center including one or more vertical storage racks, a vertical storage rack of the one or more storage racks including a plurality of horizontal rails, spaced apart from each other on respective levels of the vertical storage rack, and a pair of tracks, spaced apart from each other and extending between the plurality of levels of the vertical storage rack, the mobile robot comprising:
a plurality of horizontal traction drives configured to be driven to rotate to advance the mobile robot along a pair of spaced apart horizontal rails on a level of the vertical storage rack, the plurality of horizontal traction drives comprising:
a pair of drive wheels comprising a first drive wheel, on a first side of the mobile robot, configured to engage a first rail of the pair of spaced apart rails, and a second drive wheel, on a second side of the mobile robot opposed to the first side, configured to engage a second rail of the pair of spaced apart rails, the pair of drive wheels having a common axis with each other; and
a pair of vertical traction drives configured to be driven to rotate to advance the mobile robot along the pair of tracks, the pair of vertical traction drives comprising:
a pair of drive gears comprising a first drive gear, on the first side of the mobile robot, configured to engage a first track of the pair of tracks, and a second dr

Assignees

• Alert Innovation Inc

Inventors

• Lert Jr John G
• Fosnight William J

Classifications

• B65G1/065

  with self propelled cars · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/0478 Primary

  for matrix-arrangements · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

  the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas · CPC title