Systems and methods for handling and sorting garment items for store replenishment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454414-B2
Application number	US-202217968366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2022
Priority date	Jan 3, 2022
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

Warehouse automation and methods of sorting and sequencing garment items can be used to enhance efficiencies of order fulfillment processes. For example, this document describes warehouse automation of systems and methods for efficiently compiling store replenishment orders for garment items. The systems and methods make store replenishment of garment items highly efficient. In some examples, the systems and methods are focused on automation (e.g., using autonomous mobile robots that transport pods containing garment items) and arranging the garment items in store-ready containers that can be wheeled out directly into the retail area for efficient store replenishment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for replenishing a retail store with garment items, the system comprising:
two or more garment item inventory storage pods, each garment item inventory storage pod releasably containing one or more types of garment items; two or more mobile robots configured to autonomously engage with and transport individual garment item inventory storage pods of the one or more garment item inventory storage pods; one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels configured to receive the one or more types of garment items from the one or more garment item inventory storage pods, wherein each of the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels:
has wheels by which the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels can be manually rolled on a floor within a retail store;
is collapsible to a low-profile configuration when empty of the one or more types of garment items; and
is configured to be stacked on top of another one of the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels when collapsed in the low-profile configuration; and
a control system configured to:
control, in response to a first garment item of the one or more types of garment items being on a first order, a first mobile robot of the two or more mobile robots to engage with and transport a first garment item inventory storage pod of the two or more garment item inventory storage pods to an order picking area; and
control, in response to a second garment item of the one or more types of garment items being on the first order, a second mobile robot of the two or more mobile robots to engage with and transport a second garment item inventory storage pod of the two or more garment item inventory storage pods to the order picking area.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first garment item is contained in the first garment item inventory storage pod.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second garment item is contained in the second garment item inventory storage pod.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first garment item inventory storage pod is configured to contain two or more types of garment items.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the two or more types of garment items include at least two types of garment items selected from the group consisting of: (i) garments on hangars, (ii) garments in bags, (iii) shoes in shoe boxes, (iv) belts, and (v) socks.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels are configured to receive the two or more types of garment items.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels comprise two horizontal bars configured for receiving hangars of garments on hangars.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels comprise four side walls and a top.

9 . A method for replenishing a retail store with garment items, the method comprising:
autonomously controlling, in response to a first type of garment item being on a first order, a first mobile robot to engage with and transport a first garment item inventory storage pod to an order picking area; and autonomously controlling, in response to a second type of garment item being on the first order, a second mobile robot to engage with and transport a second garment item inventory storage pod to the order picking area; and transferring to a garment item store-ready transport vessel at the order picking area: (i) one or more of the first type of garment from the first garment item inventory storage pod and (ii) one or more of the second type of garment from the second garment item inventory storage pod, wherein the garment item store-ready transport vessel:
has wheels by which the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels can be manually rolled on a floor within a retail store;
is collapsible to a low-profile configuration when empty of the one or more types of garment items; and
is configured to be stacked on top of another one of the one or more garment item store-ready transport vessels when collapsed in the low-profile configuration.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first type of garment item is contained in the first garment item inventory storage pod.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second type of garment item is contained in the second garment item inventory storage pod.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first garment item inventory storage pod and the second garment item inventory storage pod are engaged by the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot at an inventory storage area.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising transferring the garment item store-ready transport vessel to a truck for transporting the garment item store-ready transport vessel to the retail store.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the garment item store-ready transport vessel is stacked onto another garment item store-ready transport vessel within the truck.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising transferring the garment item store-ready transport vessel to a garment display area of the retail store.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the garment item store-ready transport vessel is rolled on its own wheels to the garment display area of the retail store.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising transferring, from the garment item store-ready transport vessel, the one or more of the first type of garment and the one or more of the second type of garment to respective assigned display areas of the garment display area.

18 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the garment item store-ready transport vessel comprises four side walls and a top.

Assignees

• Target Brands Inc

Inventors

• Lisso Gregory
• Seidel Daniel
• Lewin Pablo
• Gardner Thomas
• Sellner David

Classifications

• B65D85/185

  Containers for shipping garments on hangers (travelling or trunk wardrobes A47B61/06) · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• B65D85/187

  for footwear · CPC title

• B65G2201/0235

  Containers · CPC title

• B65D21/086

  Collapsible or telescopic containers (B65D1/0292 and B65D21/068 take precedence) · CPC title