Order fulfillment system
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsJohn G. Lert, JR., William J. Fosnight, Julian Warhurst, Mark Solomon, Michael Chesna
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An order fulfillment system is disclosed including a multi-level tote storage structure, one or more autonomous mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote; one or more workstations configured to accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a “put” location, wherein the autonomous mobile robots are configured to move from level to level in the order fulfillment apparatus.
Claims20
A mobile robot for transferring totes comprising:
- a horizontal transit system configured to self-propel the mobile robot horizontally along horizontal tracks extending along aisles within a storage structure;
- and
- a transfer system for transferring a tote from a first storage shelf, at a first level of multiple levels of the storage structure and within a first aisle of the aisles of the storage structure, to the mobile robot while the mobile robot is positioned at the first level and within the first aisle and without lateral movement of the mobile robot within the first aisle toward the first storage shelf, the tote comprising a first wall configured to be oriented parallel to an axis of transfer of the tote from the first storage shelf to the mobile robot, and a second wall and a third wall each oriented perpendicular to the first wall, the first wall positioned between the second wall and the third wall, the transfer system comprising:
- a transfer motor;
- a movable surface coupled to the transfer motor and configured to move with the movable surface;
- a first finger mounted to the movable surface and configured to move with the movable surface;
- wherein the first finger is configured to engage against a first surface formed on the first wall of the tote to pull the tote from the first storage shelf onto the mobile robot.
A method of transferring a tote by a mobile robot, the method comprising:
- self-propelling the mobile robot along a horizontal track extending along an aisle at a first level of multiple levels within a storage structure;
- positioning the mobile robot within the aisle and aligned with a first tote at a first storage shelf within the storage structure, wherein the tote comprises a first wall configured to be oriented parallel to an axis of transfer of the tote from the first storage shelf to the mobile robot, and a second wall and a third wall each oriented perpendicular to the first wall, the first wall positioned between the second wall and the third wall;
- and
- controlling a transfer motor, of a transfer system of the mobile robot without lateral movement of the mobile robot within the aisle toward the first storage shelf, in moving a movable surface of the transfer system causing movement of a first finger mounted to the movable surface, and engaging the first finger against a first surface formed on the first wall of the tote inducing a first force and pulling the tote from the first storage shelf onto the mobile robot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.