Automated storage and retrieval
OwnerZhouzhou Penginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated storage system provides for storing and retrieving items at a common storage space, such as a warehouse. The system includes an arrangement of storage rails that support storage containers. A delivery rail network extends adjacent to the storage rails and to human worker-operated workstations. Picker devices, maneuvering along the delivery rail system, operate to locate a selected storage container, decouple the container from the storage rail system, and transport the storage container along a segment of the delivery rail network. A mover device then receives the selected storage container from the picker device and transports the storage container to a workstation, where items can be retrieved from (and/or added to) the storage container by the human worker.
Claims44
A system for storing and retrieving items, the system comprising:
- a first rail system configured to support a plurality of storage containers;
- a second rail system;
- a picker device coupled to the second rail system, the picker device configured to decouple a selected storage container of the plurality of storage containers from the first rail system and transport the selected storage container along a first segment of the second rail system;
- and
- a mover device coupled to the second rail system, the mover device configured to receive the selected storage container following the transport by the picker device and transport the selected storage container along a second segment of the second rail system.
A method of storing and retrieving items, the method comprising:
- receiving an order for at least one item;
- identifying a storage container containing the at least one item, the storage container being one of a plurality of storage containers supported by a first rail system;
- controlling a picker device to 1) move along a second rail system to identify the storage container, 2) decouple the storage container from the first rail system, and 3) transport the selected storage container along a first segment of the second rail system;
- and
- controlling a mover device to transport the selected storage container along a second segment of the second rail system.
A system for storing and retrieving items, the system comprising:
- a first rail system configured to support a plurality of storage containers;
- a second rail system;
- a customer kiosk including an interface configured to receive a request for an item by a customer;
- a picker device operatively coupled to the customer kiosk to perform an action responsive to a signal corresponding to the request, the picker device coupled to the second rail system, the picker device configured to decouple a selected storage container of the plurality of storage containers from the first rail system and transport the selected storage container along a first segment of the second rail system, the selected storage container housing the item;
- and
- a mover device operatively coupled to the customer kiosk to perform an action responsive to a signal corresponding to the request, the mover device coupled to the second rail system, the mover device configured to receive the selected storage container following the transport by the picker device and transport the selected storage container along a second segment of the second rail system to the customer kiosk to enable the customer to access the item.
A system for storing and retrieving items, the system comprising:
- a rail system configured to support a plurality of storage containers;
- a controller configured to issue a command to retrieve a selected storage container of the plurality of storage containers;
- and
- a plurality of picker devices, each of the picker devices configured, responsive to the command, to locate the selected storage container based on a present sequence of the plurality of storage containers along the rail system and an input identifying at least one of the plurality of storage containers proximal to the picker.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.