Automated warehouse improvements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807455-B2
Application number	US-202017080645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2020
Priority date	Apr 6, 2017
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

This document generally describes warehousing systems that can, in certain instances, improve the efficiency of warehousing operations and improve utilization of available space in a warehousing facility. The warehousing system may be implemented in an automated warehouse, such as an automated cold-storage facility, that uses programmable equipment to automate tasks associated with warehousing operations, such as transporting inbound storage items to specified storage positions of storage racks in the warehouse and removing outbound storage items from storage so that they may be loaded onto trucks for delivery away from the warehouse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated-conveying system to move storage items between a docking area of a warehouse and a storage area of the warehouse, the automated-conveying system comprising:
multiple inbound conveyor lanes to each receive, within the docking area of the warehouse, storage items that are destined for the storage area of the warehouse;
multiple outbound conveyor lanes to each provide, within the docking area of the warehouse, storage items received from the storage area of the warehouse;
a lift adapted to lift storage items to multiple levels of the storage area;
a lift conveyor lane to provide storage items to the lift; and
a loop conveying system arranged to convey storage items along a loop formed by the loop conveying system, wherein:
the multiple inbound conveyor lanes are each arranged to provide storage items to the loop conveying system,
the multiple outbound conveyor lanes are each arranged to receive storage items from the loop conveying system, and
the lift conveyor lane is arranged to receive storage items from the loop conveying system and provide storage items to the lift.

2. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , wherein:
each respective inbound conveyor lane of the multiple inbound conveyor lanes has a first inbound conveyor lane end adapted to receive storage items from forklifts and a second inbound conveyor lane end adapted to provide storage items to the loop conveying system; and
each respective outbound conveyor lane of the multiple outbound conveyor lanes has a first outbound conveyor lane end adapted to receive storage items from the loop conveying system and a second outbound conveyor lane end adapted to provide storage items to forklifts.

3. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple inbound conveyor lanes flank the multiple outbound conveyor lanes.

4. The automated-conveying system of claim 3 , wherein:
the multiple inbound conveyor lanes are two inbound conveyor lanes; and
the multiple outbound conveyor lanes include nine outbound conveyor lanes that are adjacent to each other in a group and are flanked by the two inbound conveyor lanes.

5. The automated-conveying system of claim 3 , wherein:
the multiple inbound conveyor lanes are two inbound conveyor lanes; and
the multiple outbound conveyor lanes include four outbound conveyor lanes that are adjacent to each other in a group and are flanked by the two inbound conveyor lanes.

6. The automated-conveying system of claim 5 , wherein each of the two inbound conveyor lanes is immediately adjacent one outbound conveyor lane on a first side and one inbound conveyor lane on a second side opposite from the first side.

7. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , wherein:
the docking area of the warehouse and the storage area of the warehouse are separated by a wall that substantially isolates the storage area of the warehouse from the docking area of the warehouse;
the storage area of the warehouse is maintained at a first temperature below ten degrees Fahrenheit; and
the docking area of the warehouse is maintained at a second temperature that is above the first temperature.

8. The automated-conveying system of claim 7 , wherein the wall includes multiple semi-sealed passages through which the automated-conveying system is configured to convey storage items.

9. The automated-conveying system of claim 7 , wherein the multiple inbound conveyor lanes and the multiple outbound conveyor lanes are located entirely within the docking area of the warehouse.

10. The automated-conveying system of claim 9 , wherein the lift and the lift conveyor lane are each located entirely within the storage area of the warehouse.

11. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , further comprising multiple carts, including a cart for each level of the multiple levels of the storage area, wherein each cart of the multiple carts is adapted to:
receive storage items from the lift;
convey the storage items down an aisle in the storage area that the cart services; and
provide storage items to multiple left storage locations located along a left side of the aisle and to multiple right storage locations located along a right side of the aisle.

12. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , wherein the storage items that the loop conveying system is arranged to convey and the lift is adapted to lift include pallets of goods.

13. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , wherein the loop conveying system includes a connecting lane at an intermediate location within the loop to route storage items from a first side of the loop to a second side of the loop before reaching an end of the loop.

14. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , wherein the loop conveying system includes shuttle carts to convey storage items along the loop.

15. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second lift adapted to lift storage items; and
a pallet turning mechanism to selectively route storage items received from the lift conveyor lane to both of the lift and the second lift.

16. The automated-conveying system of claim 15 , further comprising a second lift conveyor lane to provide storage items from the loop conveying system to the lift.

17. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , further comprising a horizontal conveyor lane connected to a first inbound conveyor lane of the multiple conveyor lanes to receive storage items from the first inbound conveyor lane, the horizontal conveying lane being located between the first inbound conveyor lane and the loop conveying system.

18. The automated-conveying system of claim 17 , further comprising an outbound reject conveyor lane connected to the horizontal conveyor lane to receive storage items that are transferred to the horizontal conveyor lane from the first inbound conveyor lane.

19. The automated-conveying system of claim 18 , wherein the horizontal conveyor lane connects the first inbound conveyor lane with another inbound conveyor lane.

20. The automated-conveying system of claim 1 , wherein the lift comprises a crane.

21. An automated-conveying system to move pallets of goods between a docking area of a warehouse and a storage area of the warehouse, the automated-conveying system comprising:
two inbound conveyor lanes to each receive, within the docking area of the warehouse, pallets of goods that are destined for the storage area of the warehouse;
at least four outbound conveyor lanes to each provide, within the docking area of the warehouse, pallets of goods received from the storage area of the warehouse, the at least four outbound conveyor lanes being adjacent to each other in a group and being flanked by the two inbound conveyor lanes;
a first lift adapted to lift pallets of goods to multiple levels of the storage area;
a second lift adapted to lift pallets of goods to the multiple levels of the storage area;
a lift conveyor lane;
a pallet turning mechanism to selectively route storage items received from the lift conveyor lane to both of the first lift and the second lift; and
a loop conveying system arranged to convey pallets of goods along a loop formed by the loop conveying system, wherein:
each respective inbound conveyor lane of the two inbound conveyor lanes has a first inbound conveyor lane end adapted to receive pallets of goods from forklifts in the docking area of the warehouse and a second inbound conveyor lane end adapted to provide pallets of goods to the loop conveying system,
each respecti

Assignees

• Lineage Logistics Llc

Inventors

• Wolf Elliott Gerard
• Eckman Christopher Frank
• Gutschow Brian

Classifications

• F25D13/06

  with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space · CPC title

• B65G1/0485 Primary

  Check-in, check-out devices · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

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

• G06Q10/08

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

• G06Q50/28

  Physics · mapped topic