Storage and retrieval system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016207709-A1
Application number	US-201614997892-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 18, 2016
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes, at least one reciprocating lift, and at least one pickface handoff station connected to the transfer deck and interfacing between the at least one autonomous transport vehicle on the transfer deck and the at least one reciprocating lift so that a pickface is transferred between the at least one reciprocating and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

First claim

1 . An automated storage and retrieval system comprising:
at least one autonomous transport vehicle; a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes; at least one reciprocating lift; and at least one pickface handoff station connected to the transfer deck and interfacing between the at least one autonomous transport vehicle on the transfer deck and the at least one reciprocating lift so that a pickface is transferred between the at least one reciprocating lift and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

2 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pickface handoff station is a passive handoff station.

3 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pickface handoff station is configured to simultaneously support independent pickface loads.

4 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , further comprising picking aisles connected to the transfer deck where the at least one pickface handoff station is disposed on an opposite side of the transfer deck than the picking aisles.

5 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pickface handoff station is offset from the multiple travel lanes so that autonomous transport vehicle interface with the at least one pickface handoff station is undeterministic to autonomous transport vehicle travel along the multiple travel lanes.

6 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one autonomous transport vehicle includes an end effector configured to transfer pickfaces to and from the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the at least one reciprocating lift includes an end effector configured to transfer pickfaces to and from the at least one reciprocating lift, and the at least one pickface handoff station includes a static pickface support surface that is configured to interface with at least one of the end effector of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle and the end effector of the at least one reciprocating lift, the at least one reciprocating lift being rigidly joined to the transfer deck.

7 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer station with at least one shelf that buffers pickfaces between autonomous transport vehicle picking and placement of pickfaces.

8 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , wherein the buffer station is disposed adjacent to the at least one pickface handoff station.

9 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , wherein the buffer station includes an array of vertically stacked shelves stacked one above the other, each shelf being configured to buffer pickfaces between autonomous transport vehicle picking and placement of pickfaces.

10 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , wherein the buffer station is connected to the at least one pickface handoff station through the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

11 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein at least one pickface handoff station includes position locating features to allow the at least one autonomous transport vehicle to position itself relative to the at least one pickface handoff station.

12 . An automated storage and retrieval system comprising:
at least one autonomous transport vehicle having a transport vehicle end effector configured to transfer pickfaces to and from the at least one autonomous transport vehicle; a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes; at least one reciprocating lift having a lift end effector configured to transfer pickfaces to and from the at least one reciprocating lift; and at least one pickface handoff station configured to interface with at least one of the transport vehicle end effector and the lift end effector to effect a pickface transfer between the at least one pickface handoff station and at least one of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle and the at least one reciprocating lift.

13 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one pickface handoff station is a passive handoff station.

14 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one pickface handoff station is configured to simultaneously support independent pickface loads.

15 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 12 , further comprising picking aisles connected to the transfer deck where the at least one pickface handoff station is disposed on an opposite side of the transfer deck than the picking aisles.

16 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one pickface handoff station is offset from the multiple travel lanes so that autonomous transport vehicle interface with the at least one pickface handoff station is undeterministic to autonomous transport vehicle travel along the multiple travel lanes.

17 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one pickface handoff station includes a pickface support surface that is configured to interface with at least one of the transport vehicle end effector and the lift end effector.

18 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 12 , further comprising a buffer station disposed adjacent to the at least one pickface handoff station.

19 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 18 , wherein the buffer station is connected to the at least one pickface handoff station through the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

20 . The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 12 , wherein at least one pickface handoff station includes position locating features to allow the at least one autonomous transport to position itself relative to the at least one pickface handoff station.

21 . A method comprising:
placing, with an autonomous transport vehicle, a first pickface at a pickface handoff station; and picking, with a reciprocating lift, a second pickface from the pickface handoff station, the second pickface being different than the first pickface; wherein the pickface handoff station is common to the autonomous transport vehicle and the reciprocating lift and at least one case unit is common between the first pickface and the second pickface.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising building a pickface adjacent at least one storage shelf with the autonomous transport vehicle, where the pickface built adjacent the at least one storage shelf is different than the first pickface and where at least one case unit is common between the first pickface and the pickface built adjacent the at least one storage shelf.

23 . A method comprising:
picking, with an autonomous transport vehicle, a first pickface from a storage shelf; buffering, with the autonomous transport vehicle, the first pickface on a stationary shelf of a pickface handoff station; forming a second pickface at the stationary shelf, the second pickface being different than the first pickface and comprising more than one case in ordered sequence corresponding to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed cases where the first pickface and the second pickface have at least one ca

Assignees

• Symbotic Llc

Inventors

• Pankratov Kirill K
• Conrad Juergen D
• Hsiung Robert
• Macdonald Edward A
• Sweet Larry M

Classifications

• B65G1/1375

  the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title