System of handling containers
AssigneeOcado Innovation Limited
InventorsIoannis Kanellos, Orestis Fainekos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
System for handling containers and a method for supplying inventory items to a fulfilment station in a warehouse or in any other location where fulfilment of orders or delivery of orders, for example grocery orders, is taking place. The system includes at least one mobile inventory carrier for storing containers, a mini load system including a gripping mechanism for picking up or releasing a container from the mobile inventory carrier and autonomous mobile robotic units, wherein the mini load system, the mobile inventory carrier and the autonomous mobile robotic unit(s) are distinct units and operate independently from each other.
Claims20
A system for handling containers comprising:
- at least one mobile inventory carrier for storing containers;
- a mini load system including a gripping mechanism for picking up or releasing a container from the at least one mobile inventory carrier;
- and
- at least one autonomous mobile robot unit;
- wherein the mini load system, the at least one mobile inventory carrier and the at least one autonomous mobile robot are distinct units and operate independently from each other, the mini load system including:
- a pedestal, the at least one mobile inventory carrier being attached on said pedestal;
- and
- wherein the at least one autonomous mobile robot unit is configured to move together the mini load system and the at least one mobile inventory carrier within a workplace.
A method for supplying inventory items to a fulfilment station, the method comprising:
- a) transporting a first mobile inventory carrier with one or more filled donor containers by a first autonomous mobile robot unit from an inventory area of a fulfilment center to an exchange point;
- b) loading the one or more containers of the first mobile inventory carrier by a mini load system to a second mobile inventory carrier, the second mobile inventory carrier being empty before loading;
- c) repeating steps a) and b), until the second mobile inventory carrier is fully loaded with containers;
- d) transporting the fully loaded second mobile inventory carrier by an autonomous mobile robot unit to a picking station of a fulfilment center;
- e) transferring the second mobile inventory carrier onto a pedestal of a mini load system at the picking station;
- f) selecting a first donor container from the second mobile inventory carrier and delivery of the first donor container to an operator location;
- and
- g) selecting at least one item from the first donor container and placing of the item into an order container, wherein steps f) and g) are repeated until selected items from all the donor containers are placed them into the order container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.