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Automatic distribution center system

  • US 5,411,151 A
  • Filed: 12/07/1993
  • Issued: 05/02/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An automatic distribution center system including an unloading place for unloading articles of cargo transported into a distribution center, a storage/sorting area for sorting and storing the transported articles of cargo according to how the articles are packed, a shipping area for shipping the articles sorted in accordance with their destination from the distribution center, and a transfer apparatus for transferring the articles from the unloading place to the storage/sorting area or from the storage/sorting area to the shipping area, so that the articles are distributed from the unloading place to the shipping area by automatically sorting the articles in accordance with their destination, the system comprising a pallet-type automatic storage/supply apparatus provided in the storage/sorting area for loading and storing case cargo containing the articles on pallets and performing automatically a taking-out operation in accordance with requests for taking-out the articles, a case picking apparatus for storing cases containing a plurality of the articles each in case units and taking out in case units in accordance with requests for taking-out the articles, and a piece picking apparatus for storing articles each put into opened cases and taking out the articles in the smallest handling unit in accordance with requests for taking-out the articles, whereby the articles loaded on a pallet, the articles contained in cases and an individual article are automatically taken out in accordance with requests for taking-out the articles, and the taken-out articles are packed and palletized using a case packing machine and a palletizer so as to distribute the articles from the shipping area in accordance with their destination.

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