Automated work center and method

A method of operating a system for the storage and retrieval of articles, the system having various component operating units including a work table area for providing a human operator stationed thereat with access to article carrying containers, a randomly accessible temporary storage queue for temporarily holding the containers, conveyor means for interconnecting the operating units, and an electrical communications network having circuitry connected to the operating units, the system further having provisions for controlling automatic functioning of the operating units responsive to signals applied from the electrical network, the method comprising the steps of:

• requesting a multiplicity of containers from a storage system for delivery to the temporary storage queue;
• loading requested containers onto the temporary storage queue;
• delivering a container to a work table in the work table area to provide the operator with access to the container;
• discharging the delivered container from the work table after the operator is finished working with each particular delivered container;
• requesting the delivery of an additional designated container from the temporary storage queue to the work table area after a container is discharged from the work table, the container request being generated independent of the order in which the containers were received by the temporary storage queue and delivering the additional designated container to the work table that discharged a container;
• and
• requesting the delivery of an additional container from the storage system to the temporary storage queue after a container is transferred from the temporary storage queue to the work table area.

A method for receiving articles into a storage system utilizing a work center that includes a randomly accessible temporary storage queue for temporarily storing containers and a work area adapted to provide a human operator stationed thereat with access to a plurality of containers that carry the articles and the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving articles into the work center;
• inputting both the identity and the quantity of articles received into a control system;
• calculating a container compartment size that will be required to hold the received articles, wherein after the articles are identified, the control system automatically checks a weights and measures file to determine whether measurements of the received articles have previously been recorded and uses previously recorded measurements to calculate a necessary container compartment size when such measurements are available;
• and
• checking to determine whether a container having an appropriately sized compartment is disposed in the work area, wherein if a suitably sized container is disposed within the work area, then a controller of the control system instructs the operator to place the received articles in an appropriately sized compartment and wherein if no suitably sized container is disposed within the work area, then the controller instructs the operator to place received articles at a designated temporary storage location and an appropriately sized container is automatically ordered for delivery to the work area.

A method for receiving articles into a storage system utilizing a work center that includes a randomly accessible temporary storage queue for temporarily storing containers, a work area adapted to provide a human operator stationed thereat with access to a plurality of containers that can carry the articles, and a rotational consolidation queue having a multiplicity of shelves for holding a plurality of means for receiving the articles, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving articles into the work center;
• inputting both an identity and an quantity of articles received into a control system;
• calculating a container compartment size that will be required to hold the received articles, wherein after articles are identified, the control system automatically checks a weights and measures file to determine whether the measurements of the received articles have previously been recorded and uses previously recorded measurements to calculate a necessary container compartment size when such measurements are available;
• placing received articles into selected article receiving means and a controller of the control system remembering a location of the articles;
• automatically delivering to the work area a plurality of containers having appropriately-sized compartments for received articles;
• selecting a particular container disposed within the work area for receiving received articles and informing the operator of a location of the selected container;
• automatically opening an article receiving means containing received articles and transferring received articles from the open article receiving means to the selected container;
• and
• repeating the selecting and opening steps until the received articles have been entered into inventory.

A method of operating a system for consolidating various articles, the system including a work area adapted to provide a human operator stationed thereat with access to a plurality of containers that carry the articles and a rotational consolidation queue adapted to hold a plurality of means for receiving articles, the consolidation queue being disposed in close proximity to the work area to enable the operator to readily work back and forth between the work area and the consolidation queue, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a multiplicity of orders for various articles and designating particular article receiving means to receive specific ordered articles;
• delivering to the work area a plurality of containers holding ordered articles;
• selecting particular articles disposed within a container in the work area for distribution and informing the operator of the selected articles involved and the location of an active container that holds the selected articles;
• rotating the consolidation queue until an article receiving means designated to receive the selected articles is disposed adjacent an area the operator has access to;
• presenting to the operator an article receiving means held by the consolidation queue and designated to receive the selected articles, informing the operator of the quantity of the selected articles that are to be placed into the presented article receiving means, inserting selected articles into the presented article receiving means, and returning the presented article receiving means to the consolidation queue to permit rotation thereof;
• repeating the presenting of the article receiving means and queue rotating steps as necessary to distribute the selected articles;
• and
• repeating the selection, queue rotating and presenting of the article receiving means steps as necessary to consolidate all of the ordered articles into article receiving means.

A method of operating a system for consolidating various articles, the system including a work area adapted to provide a human operator stationed thereat with access to a plurality of containers that carry the articles and a rotational consolidation queue for holding a plurality of means for receiving articles, the consolidation queue being disposed in close proximity to the work area to enable the operator to readily work back and forth between the work area and the consolidation queue and means for moving article receiving means onto a loading shelf to provide the operator access to the article receiving means, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a multiplicity of orders for various articles and designating particular article receiving means to receive specific ordered articles;
• delivering to the work area a plurality of containers holding ordered articles;
• selecting particular articles disposes within a container in the work area for distribution and informing the operator of the selected articles involved and the location of an active container that holds the selected articles;
• rotating the consolidation queue until an article receiving means designated to receive the selected articles is disposed adjacent the loading shelf;
• moving an article receiving means designated to receive the selected articles onto the loading shelf, informing the operator of the quantity of the selected articles that are to be placed into the article receiving means on the loading shelf, inserting selected articles into the article receiving means on the loading shelf, and then returning the article receiving means to the consolidation queue to permit rotation thereof;
• repeating the moving of the article receiving means and queue rotating steps as necessary to distribute the selected articles;
• and
• repeating the selection, queue rotating and moving of the article receiving means steps as necessary to consolidate all of the ordered articles into the article receiving means.