Robotic order picking

• US 4,588,349 A
• Filed: 04/05/1985
• Issued: 05/13/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Reuter, Howard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Application Number:
  US06/720,126
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 414/273, 414/280, 414/403, 414/404, 414/411, 414/756, 414/419-421, 414/680, 414/749, 414/729, 414/730, 414/735, 414/737, 414/222, 414/224, 414/744 A, 414/744 C, 198/339, 198/339.1, 198/346.1, 221/91, 206/329, 206/334, 206/485, 294/65.5, 901/6, 901/31
• US Class Current: 414/807
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas

Abstract

A method of filling a kit with required parts automatically. The parts are stored in an automatic storage and retrieval apparatus. The parts are held in a container stored in trays in the automatic storage and retrieval apparatus. On demand, a tray is placed at a transfer location whereat a robot arm removes the selected container, transports the selected container, opens the selected container over a kit box wherein the parts fall from the opened selected container, closes the selected container and returns it to the transfer location where the above apparatus replaces it in the storage area under another demand. The above continues until all parts are placed in the kit box.

Claims

1. A method of packaging, storing, and retrieving a plurality of component parts of a kit to fill an order for said kit, said method comprising the steps of:

a. placing said plurality of component parts into a plurality of identically structured, configured, and dimensioned component parts containers, each of said containers having an open top closeable with a slideably movable lid;

b. closing the open top of each of said containers by sliding said movable lid into a closed position on said open top, thereby enclosing said component parts within said container, whereby said small component parts are thereby packaged;

c. placing said containers being closed in a plurality of open storage trays;

d. storing said storage trays with said container placed therein in an automatic storage and retrieval apparatus of the type which, upon command, is capable of automatically storing said storage trays in storage locations within said apparatus, and which, upon another command, is capable of automatically retrieving said storage trays from said storage locations and delivering a selected storage tray to a transfer location, whereby said small component parts are thereby stored, but retrievable;

e. positioning an open-top kit box adjacent to said transfer location;

f. retrieving automatically, when an order is received for said kit, said selected storage tray from said automatic storage and retrieval apparatus, whereby said selected storage tray is automatically delivered to said transfer location;

g. removing, with a robot means, a selected container from said selected storage tray;

h. positioning, with said robot means, said selected container in an inverted, lid-down orientation in a position over said open-top kit box;

i. slideably retracting, with said robot means, said slideably movable lid of said selected container, whereby when said selected container is opened, a desired number of said component parts fall from said selected container and drop into said kit box;

j. closing said selected container by moving said lid;

k. replacing said selected container into said selected storage tray by said robot means;

l. returning said selected tray to said storage location;

m. repeating the necessary steps above until said order for said kit is filled; and

n. replacing said kit box after being filled with an empty kit box.