Orders filling system with cartridge dispenser

• US 5,582,324 A
• Filed: 11/15/1995
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Dematic Postal Automation LP (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Electrocom Automation L.P.
• Inventors: Pippin, James M., Erwin, Jerry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kelly, Tamara
• Application Number:
  US08/559,310
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 221/131, 221/130, 221/2, 221/7, 221/197, 221/129, 221/3
• US Class Current: 221/131
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2205/02 where the stop device is adaptable to the size of the article or array
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/8823 Pivoting stop, swinging in or out of the path of the article
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/8884 Stops acting asynchronously, e.g. one stop open, next one closed or the opposite

Abstract

An automated ordering system has a gathering conveyor belt and a plurality of product dispenser onto the gathering conveyor belt, the plurality of product dispensers arrayed in a matrix in rows and columns wherein each row of product dispensers and each column of product dispensers share common control elements. The product dispensers are of cartridge type utilizing gravity to eject products from a cartridge suspended above the gathering conveyor belt onto the gathering conveyor belt. A universal product dispenser platform accepts a wide range of different sizes and shapes of cartridges storing products to be dispensed. The universal product platform provides support for an actuator for singulating products mounted to the cartridge.

Claims

1. An automated order gathering system comprising:

an index conveyor;

a plurality of gathering belts, each of said gathering belts having a downstream output end to deliver products onto said index conveyor;

at least one product dispenser associated with each gathering belt for dispensing one or more products onto said associated gathering belt; and

means for controlling the delivery of one or more products into a predetermined area of said index conveyor, said means for controlling including;

means for selectively actuating one or more of said product dispensers to dispense product onto the associated gathering belt; and

means for selective controlling each of said gathering belts to deliver products in identifiable orders to said index conveyor.

2. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 1 including at least one tote positioned on said index conveyor to receive products delivered from said plurality of gathering belts.

3. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said index conveyor comprises a shipping section and a manual pick section and further including a divert gate movable between the shipping section and the manual pick section to divert an identifiable order on the index conveyor to the manual pick section.

4. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for controlling further includes means for defining virtual order zones and buffer zones on each of said gathering belts.

5. An automated order gathering system, comprising:

an index conveyor;

at least one transition conveyor belt having a downstream output end for delivering products onto said index conveyor;

a plurality of gathering belts, each having a downstream output end for product delivery, at least one of said gathering belts associated with at least one of said transition conveyor belts, each of said gathering belts delivering products directly to said index conveyor or to an associated transition conveyor belt;

at least one product dispenser associated with each gathering belt for dispensing one or more products onto said associated gathering belt; and

means for controlling the delivery of one or more products onto a predetermined area on said index conveyor, said means for controlling including;

means for selectively actuating one or more of said product dispensers to dispense product onto the associated gathering belts; and

means for selectively controlling each of said gathering belts and each of said transition conveyor belts to deliver products in identifiable orders to said index conveyor.

6. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 5 including at least one tote positioned on said index conveyor to receive products delivered from said plurality of gathering belts.

7. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said index conveyor comprises a shipping section and a manual pick section and further including a divert gate movable between the shipping section and the manual pick section to divert an identifiable order on the index conveyor onto the manual pick section.

8. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means for controlling further includes means for defining virtual order zones and buffer zones on each of said gathering belts.

9. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 5 where each of said at least one transition conveyor belts includes order zones for separating identifiable orders from the associated gathering belt onto said index conveyor.

10. An automated order gathering system comprising:

an index conveyor;

a plurality of gathering belts, each having a downstream output end for delivery of products onto said index conveyors;

at least one product dispenser associated with each gathering belt for dispensing one or more products onto said associated gathering belt, at least one of said product dispensers including;

a plurality of storage means arrayed in a column by row matrix, said storage means holding products of different shapes and sizes to be selectively dispensed onto an associated gathering belt;

a plurality of means for dispensing products onto said associated gathering belt, each means for dispensing coupled to a corresponding row and column of the storage means matrix;

first means for simultaneously actuating each of the means for dispensing coupled to each of the storage means in a selected column;

second means for actuating one means for dispensing per row at a time in one or more rows of the matrix to dispense products onto said associated gathering belt for multiple rows associated with a single column; and

means for controlling the delivery of one or more products onto a predetermined area on said index conveyor, said means for controlling including;

means for selectively actuating one or more of said product dispensers to dispense products onto the associated gathering belt; and

means for selectively controlling each of said gathering belts to deliver products in identifiable orders to said index conveyor.

11. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 10 including at least one tote positioned on said index conveyor to receive products delivered from said plurality of gathering belts.

12. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said index conveyor comprises a shipping section and a manual pick section and further including a divert gate movable between the shipping section and the manual pick section to divert an identifiable order on the index conveyor onto the manual pick section.

13. An automated order gathering system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means for controlling further includes means for defining virtual order zones and buffer zones on each of said gathering belts.

14. An automated order dispensing system comprising:

a first conveyor belt;

a first plurality of product dispensers for dispensing products onto the first conveyor belt arrayed in a matrix having at least one column and at least one row;

a first relay connected to each product dispenser in a row and a second relay connected to each product dispenser in a column, such that actuation of the first relay and the second relay simultaneously causes the product dispenser located in both a first row and a first column to dispense a product onto the first conveyor belt;

a first order zone on the first conveyor belt onto which a product dispenser dispenses an ordered product;

a second conveyor belt;

a second plurality of product dispensers for dispensing products onto the second conveyor belt arrayed in a matrix having at least one column and at least one row;

a third relay connected to each product dispenser in a row and a fourth relay connected to each product dispenser in a column, such that actuation of the third relay and the fourth relay simultaneously causes the product dispenser located in both a first row and a first column to dispense a product onto the second conveyor belt;

a second order zone on the second conveyor belt into which the second plurality of product dispensers dispenses an ordered product; and

means for collecting a third order zone into which the first and second conveyor belts deposit the ordered products.