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US 10,029,865 B1Granted
Parallel recirculating gantry system on a rollercoaster-style track
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDavid Bruce McCalib, Jr., Martin Peter Aalund, Bryan Gregory Drake, Tak Keung Joseph Lui, Brent Lutz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are various embodiments for a recirculating gantry system operating in parallel with multiple actuators on one or more gantries. A plurality of items are retrieved from a plurality of picking locations via a plurality of actuators disposed on a gantry spanning the picking locations. The gantry is moved along a horizontal track toward a plurality of stowage locations. The gantry is centered on the horizontal track. Individual items are deposited in respective ones of the stowage locations via the plurality of actuators as the gantry moves over the stowage locations.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a horizontally oriented recirculating track;
- a first picking area defining a first plurality of picking locations and a second picking area defining a second plurality of picking locations;
- a plurality of gantries spanning the first plurality of picking locations or the second plurality of picking locations and supported for movement along the track;
- a plurality of actuators supported on each of the plurality of gantries;
- a first stowage area defining a first plurality of side-by-side stowage locations disposed at least partially beneath the track and spaced from the first plurality of picking locations in a direction of movement of the plurality of gantries along the track;
- a second stowage area defining a second plurality of side-by-side stowage locations disposed at least partially beneath the track and spaced from the second plurality of picking locations in the direction of movement of the plurality of gantries along the track;
- and
- wherein, when operated, each plurality of actuators individually retrieves a first plurality of items from the first plurality of picking locations and then deposits individual ones of the first plurality of items in respective ones of the first plurality of stowage locations as a corresponding one of the plurality of gantries moves along the track over the respective ones of the first plurality of stowage locations, and subsequently, each plurality of actuators individually retrieves a second plurality of items from the second plurality of picking locations and then deposits individual ones of the second plurality of items in respective ones of the second plurality of stowage locations as the corresponding one of the plurality of gantries moves along the track over the respective ones of the second plurality of stowage locations.
5 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a horizontally oriented track including a first segment extending in a first direction, the track being disposed at least partially above a picking area comprising plural side-by-side picking locations and at least partially above a stowage area comprising side-by-side stowage locations spaced from the picking locations in the first direction;
- a gantry supported for movement on the track and spanning the picking and stowage locations;
- a plurality of actuators disposed on the gantry and operable to retrieve an item from one of the picking locations and deposit the item in one of the stowage locations as the gantry moves along the track in the first direction over the picking area and the stowage area;
- and
- wherein the gantry is operable to recirculate from the stowage area to the picking area by continuing to move in the first direction along the track so that the gantry returns in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- retrieving a plurality of items from a plurality of side-by-side picking locations via a plurality of actuators disposed on a gantry spanning a width of the plurality of picking locations;
- moving the gantry along a track in a first direction toward a plurality of side-by-side stowage locations, the gantry being centered on the track, the plurality of stowage locations being spaced from the plurality of picking locations in the first direction;
- and
- depositing individual ones of the plurality of items in respective ones of the plurality of stowage locations via the plurality of actuators as the gantry moves over the plurality of stowage locations.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.