Storage and retrieval system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235928-B2
Application number	US-201816121212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2018
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A system and method for storage and retrieval are provided. The system includes a multi-level storage structure, and mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote, container, or object. This system and method can be used in order-fulfillment applications in which one or more workstations accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a put location, and an input/output interface induct material into the system and discharge fulfilled orders from the system. The mobile robots are further configured to move from level to level in the multi-level storage structure via inclined or vertical tracks without requiring a vertical lift or vertical conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An order fulfillment system, comprising:
a plurality of inventory storage locations configured to store containers having inventory;
an inventory interface configured to perform at least one of presenting inventory for removal from the order fulfillment system and receiving inventory for input into the order fulfillment system; and
one or more mobile robots for transferring the containers around the order fulfillment system, the one or more mobile robots configured to transfer a container directly between an inventory storage location and the inventory interface;
wherein the inventory interface comprises an access panel preventing access to a container at the inventory interface when in a closed position, and allowing selective access to one or more sections of the container at the inventory interface when in an open position.

2. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , further comprising a system of horizontal and vertical tracks, interconnected between the plurality of inventory storage locations and the inventory interface, on which the mobile robots travel horizontally and vertically.

3. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein the inventory interface is horizontally oriented, and the inventory interface comprises an inventory storage location, adjacent and beneath the inventory interface, for receiving a container.

4. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein the selective access allowed by the access panel comprises access to an entirety of the container at the inventory interface when in an open position.

5. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein different portions of the access panel are controllably opened to allow the selective access to one or more sections of the container.

6. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein a robot of the one or more robots delivers a container including customer-ordered inventory from one of the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in response to an indication that the customer is at the order fulfillment system to pick up the customer-ordered inventory.

7. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein a robot of the one or more robots delivers a container including customer-ordered inventory from one of the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in response to an indication that the customer will be at the order fulfillment system at some point in the future to pick up the customer-ordered inventory.

8. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mobile robots transfer containers including customer orders from the inventory interface to the plurality of inventory storage locations to restock the order fulfillment system.

9. The order fulfillment system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more mobile robots deliver empty containers from the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in conjunction with the one or more mobile robots transferring containers including customer orders from the inventory interface to the plurality of inventory storage locations.

10. The order fulfillment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mobile robots comprise multiple robots for transferring multiple containers between the plurality of inventory storage locations and an inventory interface.

11. An order fulfillment system, comprising:
a plurality of inventory storage locations configured to store containers having inventory;
an inventory interface having an access panel, the inventory interface configured to present inventory for removal from the order fulfillment system or insertion into the order fulfillment system;
a human/machine interface for receiving input from a user;
one or more mobile robots for transferring the containers around the order fulfillment system, including to the plurality of inventory storage locations and to the inventory interface, the access panel configured to shield a user from a mobile robot moving to the inventory interface or away from the inventory interface; and
a control system operatively coupled to inventory interface, the human/machine interface and one or more mobile robots, the control system causing a selected container to be transferred from an inventory storage location of the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in response to input received at the human/machine interface;
wherein the access panel of the inventory interface is operatively coupled to the control system, the control system causing the access panel to at least partially open upon confirmation at the control system that the selected container is positioned at the inventory interface; and
wherein the selected container includes a plurality of compartments, a compartment of the plurality of compartments including inventory to be removed from the inventory interface, and wherein the access panel is partially opened upon confirmation at the control system that the selected container is positioned at the inventory interface to provide access to the compartment while keeping others of the plurality of compartments covered.

12. The order fulfillment system of claim 11 , wherein the control system identifies user-ordered inventory stored in the plurality of inventory storage locations upon identifying the user from input received at the human/machine interface, the control system causing a container including the user-ordered inventory to be transferred from an inventory storage location of the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in response to identifying the user-ordered inventory.

13. The order fulfillment system of claim 11 , wherein a robot of the one or more robots delivers a container including customer-ordered inventory from one of the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in response to an indication that the customer is at the order fulfillment system to pick up the customer-ordered inventory.

14. The order fulfillment system of claim 11 , wherein a robot of the one or more robots delivers a container including customer-ordered inventory from one of the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in response to an indication that the customer will be at the order fulfillment system at some point in the future to pick up the customer-ordered inventory.

15. The order fulfillment system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more mobile robots transfer containers including customer orders from the inventory interface to the plurality of inventory storage locations to restock the order fulfillment system.

16. The order fulfillment system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more mobile robots deliver empty containers from the plurality of inventory storage locations to the inventory interface in conjunction with the one or more mobile robots transferring containers including customer orders from the inventory interface to the plurality of inventory storage locations.

17. An order fulfillment system, comprising:
a plurality of inventory storage locations configured to store a plurality of containers having inventory, a container of the plurality of containers having a plurality of compartments;
an inventory interface having an access panel configured to perform at least one of presenting inventory for removal from the order fulfillment system and receiving inventory for input into the order fulfillment system, wherein the access panel is configured to:
completely block access to the container positioned at the inventory interface,
allow partial access to the container position

Assignees

• Alert Innovation Inc

Inventors

• Lert Jr John G
• Fosnight William J

Classifications

• B65G1/04 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B65G1/0478

  for matrix-arrangements · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

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