STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

• US 20100316468A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Casepick Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Hinshaw, Foster, Sullivan, Robert, Ulrich, Nathan, Toebes, Stephen, Lert, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,096,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/273
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/045 in a circular arrangement, e.g. towers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0485 Check-in, check-out devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/065 with self propelled cars
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/10 with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/127 the circuit being confined in a vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/57 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassible.

Claims

1. A storage and retrieval system comprising:

a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having at least one transfer deck, picking aisles and storage locations disposed within the picking aisles, the at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles;

a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system;

at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level, the at least one autonomous transport being configured to transport the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system; and

a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassable.

2. The storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein each storage level includes picking aisles having a first end and a second end, a first transfer deck disposed at the first end providing access to each of the picking aisles and a second transfer deck disposed at the second end providing access to each of the picking aisles.

3. An automated case unit storage system for handling case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising:

a multilevel storage structure, each level of the multilevel storage structure comprising a transport area and a storage area, the storage area including an array of storage shelves adapted to hold case units thereon;

a controller configured to create at least one alternate access path through the transport area and storage area to a predetermined one of the case units when a predetermined access path is unavailable;

at least one substantially continuous lift for transporting at least one uncontained case unit to and from a predetermined level of the multilevel storage structure; and

at least one autonomous transport vehicle being assigned to each level of the multilevel storage structure, the at least one autonomous transport vehicle having a frame configured to traverse the transport area of the respective level for transporting the at least one uncontained case unit between the substantially continuous lift and a predetermined storage location of the storage shelves on the respective level, the at least one autonomous transport vehicle being configured to directly or indirectly transfer the at least one uncontained case unit to and from the at least one substantially continuous lift.

4. The automated case unit storage system of claim 3, wherein the at least one autonomous transport vehicle comprises a case unit transfer system movably mounted to the frame and being arranged to support the at least one uncontained case unit thereon so that the transfer system is moveable relative to the frame between extended and retracted positions, the transfer system being extended for picking and placing the at least one uncontained case unit on the storage shelves and for picking and placing the at least one uncontained case unit to the substantially continuous lift.

5. The automated case unit storage system of claim 3, wherein the at least one substantially continuous lift comprises at least one vertical conveyor having support shelves for bi-directionally transporting the at least one case unit to and from the predetermined level of the multilevel storage structure.

6. The automated case unit storage system of claim 3, wherein when the at least one autonomous transport vehicle is configured to directly or indirectly transfer the at least one uncontained case unit to or from the at least one substantially continuous lift, each level of the multilevel storage structure further comprises an interface device configured for transferring the at least one case unit between the substantially continuous lift and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

7. The automated case unit storage system of claim 6, wherein the substantially continuous lift comprises slatted transport shelves and the interface device comprises fingers configured to pass through the slatted transport shelves for transferring the at least one case units to or from the substantially continuous lift.

8. The automated case unit storage system of claim 7, wherein the fingers of the interface device form a slatted transfer shelf, the at least one autonomous transport vehicle comprising vehicle fingers configured to pass through the slatted transfer shelves for transferring the at least one case units to or from the interface device.

9. An automated case unit storage system for handling case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising:

a multilevel array of storage spaces arrayed on multiple levels and in multiple rows at each level, each storage space of the array being capable of holding an uncontained case unit therein;

a continuous vertical lift having a lift support configured for holding and lifting the uncontained case unit to the levels of the array, the continuous vertical lift moving the lift support substantially continuously at a substantially constant rate; and

a transport cart with an effector capable of holding the uncontained case unit thereon, the cart being movable through the array on at least one of the levels to effect transfer of the uncontained case unit from the lift support to the storage spaces;

wherein the continuous lift and transport cart are arranged so that the uncontained case on the lift support can be transferred by the transport cart with one pick to each storage space on the at least one level of the array with the lift at the substantially constant rate.

10. The automated case unit storage system of claim 9, wherein the continuous vertical lift is a common lift to each storage space on the at least one level.

11. The automated case unit storage system of claim 9, wherein the continuous vertical lift is a common lift to each storage space of the array of storage spaces.

12. The automated case unit storage system of claim 9, wherein the each storage space has fixed structure that defines a seating surface contacting the uncontained case unit stored in the storage space.

13. The automated case unit storage system of claim 9, wherein the effector is integral to and dependent from structure of the at least one transport cart, the effector defining case unit seating surface contacting the uncontained case unit being held by the effector.

14. An automated case unit storage system for handling case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising:

a multilevel array of storage spaces arrayed on multiple levels and in multiple rows at each level, each storage space of the array being capable of holding an uncontained case unit therein;

at least one continuous vertical lift having a lift support configured for holding and lifting the uncontained case unit to the levels of the array, the continuous vertical lift moving the lift support substantially continuously at a substantially constant rate; and

a transport cart with an effector capable of holding the uncontained case unit thereon, the cart being movable through the array on at least one of the levels to effect transfer of the uncontained case unit from a respective one of the storage spaces to the at least one continuous'"'"'vertical lift;

wherein each storage space and transport cart are arranged so that the uncontained case in a respective storage space can be transferred by the transport cart with one pick to each of the at least one continuous vertical lift on the at least one level of the array with the at least one lift at the substantially constant rate.

15. The automated case unit storage system of claim 14, wherein each storage space on the at least one level is a common storage space to the at least one continuous vertical lift on the at least one level.

16. The automated case unit storage system of claim 14, wherein each storage space of the array of storage spaces is a storage space to the continuous vertical lift.

17. An autonomous transport vehicle for transporting case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks modules with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor being connected to the picking aisles by a transfer deck, the autonomous transport vehicle comprising:

a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and transfer deck for transporting case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor; and

a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.

18. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 17, further comprising an effector connected to the frame, the effector being configured to hold the case units and being configured to transfer the case units between the autonomous transport vehicle and each storage area and between the autonomous transport vehicle and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.

19. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 17, wherein the autonomous transport vehicle is configured to transport case units between each storage area of a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks modules and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor with one pick.