PICKFACE BUILDER FOR STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS
First Claim
1. A method for building a pickface with a pickface builder in a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the method comprising:
- providing a pickface builder base;
providing a pusher member movably coupled to the pickface builder base; and
providing a snugger member movably coupled to the pickface builder base;
receiving goods units from a feed conveyor with the pickface builder;
forming, with the pusher member and snugger member, more than one of the goods units into a pickface picked by a picking device as a unit, the pusher member and snugger member being movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the feed conveyor;
forming a predetermined reference datum by relative movement between the pusher member and the snugger member, the relative movement simultaneously creating the predetermined reference datum and its position reference embodied therein so that the position reference of the predetermined reference datum embodies a structural positioning reference feature defining a corresponding structural positioning reference feature intrinsic to the pickface and is common to the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface, so as to relate each of the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface to a respective placement position of each of the goods units forming the pickface and placing the pickface as a unit along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pickface builder for a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units and having an in-feed conveyor and a picking device, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the pickface builder including a frame, a pusher member movably coupled to the frame, and a snugger member movably coupled to the frame, wherein the pickface builder is configured to receive goods units from the in-feed conveyor and the pusher member and snugger member are movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the in-feed conveyor and configured to form the goods units into a pickface picked by the picking device as a unit and having a predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for building a pickface with a pickface builder in a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the method comprising:
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providing a pickface builder base; providing a pusher member movably coupled to the pickface builder base; and providing a snugger member movably coupled to the pickface builder base; receiving goods units from a feed conveyor with the pickface builder; forming, with the pusher member and snugger member, more than one of the goods units into a pickface picked by a picking device as a unit, the pusher member and snugger member being movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the feed conveyor; forming a predetermined reference datum by relative movement between the pusher member and the snugger member, the relative movement simultaneously creating the predetermined reference datum and its position reference embodied therein so that the position reference of the predetermined reference datum embodies a structural positioning reference feature defining a corresponding structural positioning reference feature intrinsic to the pickface and is common to the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface, so as to relate each of the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface to a respective placement position of each of the goods units forming the pickface and placing the pickface as a unit along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for building a pickface with a pickface builder in a storage and retrieval system, the method comprising:
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providing a feed conveyor; providing a feed station; providing a pickface builder disposed between the feed conveyor and feed station; providing a picking device connected to the feed station; transferring goods units to the picking device with the feed station, where each goods unit holds at least one product package therein; providing the pickface builder with a pickface builder base, a pusher member movably coupled to the pickface builder base, and a snugger member movable coupled to the pickface builder base; receiving goods units from the feed conveyor with the pickface builder; forming, with the pusher member and snugger member, more than one of the goods units picked by the picking device as a unit into a pickface, the pusher member and snugger member being movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the feed conveyor; forming a predetermined reference datum by relative movement between the pusher member and the snugger member, the relative movement simultaneously creating the predetermined reference datum and its position reference embodied therein so that the position reference of the predetermined reference datum embodies a structural positioning reference feature defining a corresponding structural positioning reference feature intrinsic to the pickface and is common to the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface, so as to relate each of the more than one goods units forming the pickface to a respective placement position of each of the goods units forming the pickface and placing the pickface as a unit along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for building a pickface with a pickface builder in a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the method comprising:
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providing a pickface builder base; providing a pusher member movably coupled to the pickface builder base; and providing a snugger member movably coupled to the pickface builder base; receiving goods units from a feed conveyor with the pickface builder; forming more than one of the goods units into a pickface picked by a picking device as a unit, with the pusher member and snugger member; forming a predetermined reference datum by relative movement between the pusher member and the snugger member, the relative movement simultaneously creating the predetermined reference datum and its position reference embodied therein so that the position reference of the predetermined reference datum embodies a structural positioning reference feature where the predetermined reference datum depends on at least one predetermined pickface characteristic and defining a corresponding structural positioning reference feature intrinsic to the pickface and is common to the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface, so as to relate each of the more than one goods units forming the pickface to a respective placement position of each of the goods units forming the pickface and placing the pickface as a unit along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.
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Specification