Automatic storage and retrieval system having staging and sequencing buffer locations and segregated storage
AssigneeSymbotic LLC
InventorsDavid B. Simpson, William J. Fosnight, John G. Lert, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An order fulfillment system includes a storage structure for storing totes, workstations for processing customer orders and a staging and sequencing buffer having staging locations for storing the totes. The staging and sequencing buffer provides a buffer for totes as mobile robots transfer totes from the storage structure and to the one or more workstations.
Claims20
An automated order fulfillment system, comprising mobile robots configured to transport totes carrying goods, the automated order fulfillment system comprising:
- a storage structure accessible by the mobile robots and comprising storage locations configured to store the totes received from the mobile robots;
- one or more workstations accessible by the mobile robots and configured to receive totes from the mobile robots for processing of orders for goods;
- and
- a staging and sequencing buffer contiguous with the storage structure, the staging and sequencing buffer being separate and distinct from the storage locations of the storage structure and comprising staging locations for storing the totes, the staging and sequencing buffer is configured to provide a buffer for totes transferred from the storage structure to be processed at the one or more workstations.
A method of fulfilling orders for goods in an automated order fulfillment system, comprising:
- (a) storing totes including the goods in a storage structure by mobile robots;
- (b) transferring totes from the storage structure to a staging and sequencing buffer that is separate and distinct from storage locations of the storage structure and comprises staging locations by the mobile robots;
- and
- (c) transferring totes from the staging and sequencing buffer to a workstation for fulfilling product orders by the mobile robots, the staging and sequencing buffer buffering totes to be transferred to the workstation.
An automated order fulfillment system, comprising mobile robots configured to transport totes carrying goods, the automated order fulfillment system comprising:
- a storage structure accessible by the mobile robots and comprising storage locations configured to store product totes of the totes received from the mobile robots, the product totes storing inventory for fulfilling orders;
- a dispensing module comprising local storage locations configured to store order totes of the totes received from the mobile robots, the order totes storing inventory received from one or more product totes;
- one or more workstations accessible by the mobile robots and configured to receive the product totes and the order totes from the mobile robots for transfer of goods from the product totes to the order totes;
- and
- a staging and sequencing buffer comprising staging locations for storing the product totes from the storage structure enroute to the one or more workstations;
- wherein the product totes travel in a first unidirectional loop between the storage structure, the staging and sequencing buffer and the one or more workstations;
- and
- wherein the order totes travel in a second unidirectional loop between the local storage of the dispensing module and the one or more workstations.
An automated order fulfillment system, comprising mobile robots configured to transport totes carrying goods, the automated order fulfillment system comprising:
- a storage structure accessible by the mobile robots and comprising storage locations configured to store the totes received from the mobile robots;
- one or more pairs of decks, mobile robots entering and exiting the storage structure from the one or more pairs of decks, mobile robots traveling in a first direction in a first deck of a pair of the one or more pairs of decks, and mobile robots traveling in a second direction in a second deck of the pair of decks;
- one or more workstations accessible by the mobile robots and configured to receive totes from the mobile robots for processing of orders for goods;
- a staging and sequencing buffer contiguous with the storage structure, the staging and sequencing buffer being separate and distinct from the storage locations of the storage structure and comprising staging locations for storing the totes, the staging and sequencing buffer configured to provide a buffer for totes transferred from the storage structure to be processed at the one or more workstations;
- and
- a controller for implementing unidirectional flow through the one or more pairs of decks and the staging and sequencing buffer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.