CONTAINER STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120219397A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sodium Limited
• Original Assignee: Sodium Limited
• Inventors: Baker, John Russell
• Granted Patent: US 9,617,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/796
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5104 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 57/00 Stacking of articles B65G60/00 takes precedence; feeding, piling or stacking sheets B65H

Abstract

A system for storing and retrieving containers (108) comprises a first conveying means (1) operable to move stacks of containers between a loading position (2) and a discharge position (4), a container store (5), a container store dispatch conveyor (28) and a container store delivery conveyor (26). A first transfer means transfers containers from the container store dispatch conveyor (28) to the first conveying means (1) and a second transfer means transfers containers from the first conveying means (1) to the container store delivery conveyor (26). A container store storage/retrieval means (9) moves containers from the container store (5) to the container store dispatch conveyor (28) and from the container store delivery conveyor (26) to the container store (5). The system has stack destacking means (30) which are capable of destacking full stacks into at least two partial stacks, the stack destacking means positioned to allow containers which have passed through the destacking means to be delivered to the container store (5) by the container store delivery conveyor (26).

Claims

1. A system for storing and retrieving containers, the system comprising:

a first conveying means operable to move stacks of containers between a loading position and a discharge position;

a container storage area;

a container store dispatch conveyor;

a container store delivery conveyor;

first transfer means for transferring containers from the container store dispatch conveyor to the first conveying means;

second transfer means for transferring containers from the first conveying means to the container store delivery conveyor;

container store storage/retrieval means adapted to move containers from the container storage area to the container store dispatch conveyor and from the container store delivery conveyor to the container storage area; and

stack destacking means associated with the first conveying means, the stack destacking means capable of destacking full stacks into at least two partial stacks, the stack destacking means positioned to allow containers which have passed through the destacking means to be delivered to the container storage area by the container store delivery conveyor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the stack destacking means is a combined stacking/destacking means.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the stack destacking means is positioned to receive containers dispatched from the container storage area by the container store dispatch conveyor.

4. The system of claim 1 provided with a second stack destacking means positioned to receive containers dispatched from the container storage area by the container store dispatch conveyor.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a full stack delivery conveyor adapted to transport full stacks of containers from the first conveying means to the container storage area.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a partial stack storage conveyor loop adapted to transport selected partial stacks away from the destacking means and then back to the destacking means, without handling by the container store storage/retrieval means.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the partial stack storage conveyor loop includes a first partial stack storage conveyor and a second partial stack storage conveyor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the container store storage/retrieval means includes a crate robot.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the crate robot is provided with a platform adapted to support at least one stack.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the crate robot is adapted to engage and transport a plurality of stacks at once.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the crates are stored in the container storage area in rows of stacks, each row having a predetermined maximum number of stacks.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the crate robot is adapted to engage and transport a number of stacks at once, the number being equal to or greater than the predetermined number of stacks.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the crate robot is adapted to support at least a full frame of stacks.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the container store dispatch conveyor is adapted to support at least as many stacks as the crate robot.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the container store includes a plurality of rows of containers arranged in a first rank of rows.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the container store includes a plurality of rows of containers arranged in a second rank of rows.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the first rank is substantially parallel to the first conveying means.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the second rank is substantially parallel to the first conveying means.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein first rank and second rank are spaced apart to create an aisle therebetween.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the crate robot is moveable along the aisle.

10. The system of claim &

wherein the crate robot is provided with a conveyor.

22-50. -50. (canceled)