Automated storage and distribution system

• US 20070270999A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Munroe Chirnomas
• Original Assignee: Munroe Chirnomas
• Inventors: Chirnomas, Munroe
• Application Number:
  US11/374,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/221
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/10 for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property

Abstract

An automated facility for storing and then distributing articles. The facility includes a housing for receiving closed shipping containers, and further means for retrieving articles from inside the shipping containers and distributing the articles to an output of the housing. The further means includes a sensing means for determining the position of at least a portion of an outside surface of each one of a plurality of closed shipping containers that have entered into the housing, and an automated means to form an opening in each of the shipping containers. A computer controlled retrieving means is also provided in the housing for entering into selected ones of the shipping containers by passing through the formed opening so as to retrieve an article from inside one of the shipping containers, which article is then moved to an output of the housing.

Claims

1. An automated store for storing and selling articles, the automated store having a housing for

receiving a plurality of different types of closed shipping containers into the housing for storage, each of the closed shipping containers having a plurality of articles contained therein, and for distributing said articles to an output of the housing articles which were retrieved from inside stored shipping containers, CHARACTERISED BY:

a sensing means for determining the position of at least a portion of an outside surface of each one of the plurality of closed shipping containers that have been received into the housing; and

a computer controlled forming means which uses the determined position specific to each of the closed shipping containers to form an opening in each of the plurality of the shipping containers, which formed opening is positioned and dimensioned in a manner so as to allow automated retrieval of articles from inside of the opened shipping containers.

2. A fully secured automated store for storing and selling articles, the automated store having a housing which is sealed and operated by computer control so that no people are required to be inside of the housing for receiving closed shipping containers into the housing for storage, and for distributing articles to an output of the housing, which articles were retrieved from inside of stored ones of the shipping containers, comprising:

a computer controlled secure entry means for receiving a plurality of closed shipping containers at an entry point thereof, said entry means controlling entry into the housing of so that only closed shipping containers which are authorized are passed into the housing, where at least some of the plurality of closed shipping containers which are entered into the housing have outer dimensions which are different from the outer dimensions of other ones of the plurality of closed shipping containers which are entered into the housing;

an automated forming means for forming an opening in a plurality of the shipping containers which entered into the housing;

a storing means for storing the plurality of opened shipping containers inside a storage area of the housing;

a computer controlled retrieving means for entering into selected ones of the opened shipping containers located in the storage area, by passing through the formed opening so as to retrieve an article from inside one of the stored opened shipping containers; and

moving means for moving the retrieved articles to an output of the housing.

3. A method of operating an automated store for storing and selling articles, the automated store having a housing for receiving closed shipping containers into the housing for storage, and for distributing articles to an output of the housing, which articles were retrieved from shipping containers stored inside the housing, comprising the following steps:

controlling entry into the housing of a plurality of various different types of closed shipping containers, with at least some of the plurality of closed shipping containers having outer dimensions which are different from the outer dimensions of other ones of the plurality of closed shipping containers;

developing information which identifies at least one of the position and type of a plurality of the closed shipping containers;

using the developed position and type information to form an opening in the container,

which opening is positioned and dimensioned for allowing automated retrieval of articles from inside of the container;

storing the container inside the housing; and

retrieving selected articles from said stored containers, and distributing them to an output of the housing.