METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SORTING OR RETREIVING ITEMS
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for sorting or retrieving items to/from a plurality of destinations areas. The items are loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled delivery vehicles. The delivery vehicles follow a track that guides the delivery vehicles to/from the destination areas, which are positioned along the track. Once at the appropriate destination area, an item is transferred between the delivery vehicle and the destination area.
43 Citations
53 Claims
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1-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A material handling system, comprising:
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a plurality of storage locations arranged into a series of rows or columns; a track adjacent the storage locations, wherein the track comprises a plurality of rows or columns; a plurality of vehicles for delivering items to the storage locations or retrieving items from the storage locations, wherein each vehicles comprises an onboard motor for driving the vehicle along the track to or from one of the storage locations; a controller for independently controlling each vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to control one of the vehicles carrying a first item that the vehicle retrieved from a first storage location, wherein the controller is; identifies a second storage location at which a second item is to be retrieved by the vehicle; identifies storage location available to receive the first item; attempts to minimize the travel distance between the storage location identified for receiving the first item and the storage location where the second item is located; directs the vehicle to the storage location identified for receiving the first item; and directs the vehicle to the storage location at which the second item is located after the vehicle discharges the first item; wherein the vehicle comprises a transfer mechanism for transferring the second item onto the vehicle convey the second item to a location where the second item can be removed from the vehicle to fill an order for the second item. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. (canceled)
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42. A method for controlling a material handling system having a plurality of storage locations, a track adjacent the storage locations and a plurality of vehicles for delivering items to the storage locations or retrieving items from the storage locations, comprising the steps of:
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driving one of the vehicles carrying a first item that the vehicle retrieved from a first storage location; identifying a second storage location at which a second item is to be retrieved by the vehicle; identifying a storage location available to receive the first item, wherein the step of identifying a storage location available to receive the first item comprises attempting to minimize the travel distance between the storage location identified for receiving the first item and the storage location where the second item is located; driving the vehicle to the storage location identified as being available to receive the first item; transferring the first item into the storage location identified as being available to receive the first item; driving the vehicle to the storage location at which the second item is located after the vehicle discharges the first item; transferring the second item onto the vehicle and convey the second item to an output location; transferring the second item from the vehicle at the output location. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A material handling, comprising:
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a plurality of storage locations arranged; a track adjacent the storage locations; a plurality of vehicles for delivering items to the storage locations or retrieving items from the storage locations, wherein each vehicles is configured to ride along the track to or from one of the storage locations; a plurality of gates along the track, wherein each gate is operable between a first position and a second position for selectively change the direction of travel for a vehicle as the vehicle travels along the track; wherein each vehicle comprises; a transfer mechanism for transferring items between the vehicle and one of the storage locations; a drive element operable to drive the transfer mechanism a gate actuator operable between a first position in which the actuator does not actuate the gate and a second position in which the actuator is operable to actuate the gate, wherein actuating the drive element of the transfer mechanism actuates the gate actuator from the first position to the second position. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53-55. -55. (canceled)
Specification