THREE-DIMENSIONAL AUTOMATED PICK MODULE

• US 20080181753A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bastian Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bastian Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Bastian, William A., Sobota, Elizabeth
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/277
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/026 Racks equipped with a displaceable load carrying surface to facilitate loading or unloading
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/133 the circuit being confined in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor

Abstract

Individual items or multiple items are stored on vertical stacks (or racks) of conveyors. The stacks of conveyors are located on both sides of a vertical transport on which cartons, totes, and/or pallets are loaded. The vertical transport is able to be vertically lifted in a fashion similar to an elevator so that the totes on the conveyor can receive items from the various levels of the storage rack conveyors. To speed up the loading process, items can be loaded in the containers simultaneously from both sides of the container and/or sequentially. In one form, a cross-belt conveyor is used to load the items. Alternatively or additionally, robotic arms can be used to load the items. One or more conveyor drivers can be used to power multiple conveyors in order to index items to a loading position on the conveyors.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

at least two storage racks disposed in an opposing manner, the storage racks each including two or more levels that have one or more rack conveyors upon which items are stored;

a vertical transport disposed between the storage racks, the vertical transport including one or more robotic arms being secured to the vertical transport to move vertically in unison with the vertical transport; and

an elevator configured to move the vertical transport vertically between the levels so that the robotic arms are able to load the items from the rack conveyors onto the vertical transport.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the vertical transport has one or more guide rails upon which the robotic arms hang; and

the robotic arms are configured to move along the guide rails for loading items along the length of the vertical transport.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the rack conveyors are unpowered; and

a conveyor driver configured to move to power two or more of the rack conveyors.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the conveyor driver is configured to move horizontally along one of the levels.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the conveyor driver is configured to move vertically between the levels for indexing rack conveyors on different levels so that the robotic arms are able to load the items from the rack conveyors on different levels while the vertical transport remains vertically stationary.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the conveyor driver is secured to the vertical transport.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the conveyor driver is secured to one of the racks.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vertical spacing between the levels in the racks decreases at higher levels.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the vertical transport includes a cross-belt conveyor configured to load the items from the rack conveyors onto the vertical transport; and

the cross-belt conveyor being secured to the vertical transport to move vertically in unison with the vertical transport.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transport conveyor configured to unload the items from the vertical transport.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transport conveyor is secured to the vertical transport to move vertically in unison with the vertical transport.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the vertical transport includes two or more rails that are spaced apart to hold one or more containers in which the items are loaded; and

the vertical transport is configured to lift the containers from the transport conveyor during loading.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an incoming conveyor configured to load containers onto the vertical transport; and

an outgoing conveyor configured to unload the containers from the vertical transport.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the incoming conveyor and the outgoing conveyor are disposed at the same end of the vertical transport.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a replenishment station configured to move vertically and horizontally along at least one of the racks for replenishing items on the rack conveyors.

16. A storage system, comprising:

a storage rack including two or more rack conveyors upon which items are stored; and

a conveyor driver configured to move along the storage rack to power the two or more of the rack conveyors.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a vertical transport disposed along the storage rack configured to receive the items from the rack conveyors; and

an elevator configured to move the vertical transport vertically.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the vertical transport includes one or more robotic arms for loading the items from the storage racks onto the vertical transport.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a cross-belt conveyor configured to load the items from the rack conveyors onto the vertical transport; and

the conveyor driver being configured to transmit power from the cross-belt conveyor to the rack conveyor.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the conveyor driver is secured to the vertical transport.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the conveyor driver is configured to move horizontally along the vertical transport.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the conveyor driver is configured to move horizontally along the storage rack.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a guide rail fixed vertically relative to the rack; and

the conveyor driver being configured to move along the guide rail.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the conveyor driver is configured to move vertically along the storage rack.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the conveyor driver is configured to move vertically along the storage rack.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a guide rail to which the conveyor driver is secured;

a drive elevator configured to vertically move the guide rail along the storage rack.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the conveyor driver includes:

a drive belt configured to frictionally engage the two or more rack conveyors; and

a drive motor configured to drive the drive belt to power the two or more rack conveyors.

28. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for powering the two or more of the rack conveyors, wherein the means for powering includes the conveyor driver.

29. A storage system, comprising:

at least two storage racks disposed in an opposing manner, the storage racks each including two or more levels that have one or more rack conveyors upon which items are stored;

a vertical transport disposed between the storage racks, the vertical transport including a cross-belt conveyor configured to load the items from the rack conveyors onto the vertical transport; and

an elevator configured to move the vertical transport vertically between the levels.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the cross-belt conveyor is secured to the vertical transport to move vertically in unison with the vertical transport.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the cross-belt conveyor is looped around the vertical transport to load the items from the at least two storage racks simultaneously.

32. A method, comprising:

raising a vertical transport in a vertical direction to a first vertical position along a storage rack that has a first level with a first rack conveyor; and

loading one or more first items from the first rack conveyor at the first level onto the vertical transport with a robotic arm secured to the vertical transport; and

loading one or more second items with the robotic arm onto the vertical transport from a second rack conveyor that is located at a second level that is different from the first level while the vertical transport remains at the first vertical position.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

loading onto the vertical transport one or more third items from a third rack conveyor at the first level with a cross-belt conveyor.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

powering the first rack conveyor with a conveyor driver;

moving the conveyor driver to the second or third rack conveyor; and

powering the second or third rack conveyor with the conveyor drive.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

rearranging the first and second items between the first and second rack conveyors.

36. A method, comprising:

powering a first conveyor with a conveyor driver to index a first item on the first conveyor to a first loading position;

moving the conveyor driver to a second conveyor; and

powering the second conveyor with the conveyor driver to index a second item on the second conveyor to a second loading position.