Integrated order selection and distribution system

• US 6,208,908 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SI Handling Systems, Inc. (Paragon Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SI Handling Systems, Inc. (Paragon Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Clark, David A., Galloway, David, Boyd, Brad J., Grunwald, Donald R., Werkheiser, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US09/300,069
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/214, 700/216, 700/225, 700/226, 198/349, 198/349.95, 198/370.04, 198/370.05, 198/704, 414/268, 414/269, 414/270, 414/273
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An integrated order selection and distribution system is provided for selecting and delivering a plurality of articles associated with a preselected customer order. The system includes discrete article receptacles, a conveyor, and a plurality of pack stations. The receptacles releasably retain articles associated with a preselected customer order. Each receptacle is transported to predetermined locations within the system by the conveyor. The pack stations are arranged along the direction of movement of the conveyor to receive the articles to be discharged from the receptacles. A system controller tracks the location of the receptacles in the system and generates a signal that causes each receptacle to discharge its articles at a predetermined location, relative to the pack stations. In the preferred embodiment, the system controller assigns each receptacle to at least one of the pack stations in round-robin fashion based upon the type of articles to be discharged.

Claims

1. An order selection and distribution system for selecting and delivering a plurality of articles associated with a preselected order to a packing area, the order selection and distribution system comprising:

a discrete article receptacle for releasably retaining articles to be delivered, having an interior space for receiving the articles and a discharge opening for discharging the articles,

a conveyor for transporting the receptacle to predetermined locations within the system,

an order identification item associated with the receptacle to assign the receptacle to carry specified articles associated with a preselected order,

a pack station arranged along a direction of movement of the conveyor for receiving the articles to be discharged from the receptacle,

an actuator associated with the pack station for selectably engaging the receptacle to cause the articles in the interior space to be discharged through the discharge opening, and

a system controller for tracking the location of the receptacle in the system and for generating a discharge signal to cause the actuator to engage the receptacle when the receptacle is at a predetermined discharge location in the system, relative to the pack station.

2. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of discrete article receptacles, each receptacle including

an open top,

a wall defining a portion of the interior space,

a discharge member operatively attached to the receptacle for controlling the discharge of the articles through the discharge opening, the discharge member being adapted to move between a retracted position and a discharge position, and

a door operator connected to the discharge member to control the movement of the discharge member from the retracted position to the discharge position.

3. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each receptacle includes indicia attached to the wall for uniquely identifying the receptacle.

4. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the discharge opening is a hole at a lower end of the receptacle.

5. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the door operator includes a linkage to control the movement of the discharge member.

6. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the linkage includes an input link pivotably attached to the receptacle and rotatably coupled to an output link releasably secured to the discharge member, wherein the rotation of the input link causes the discharge member to move from the retracted position to the discharge position.

7. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the actuator further comprises a lever to engage and cause the rotation of the input link of the linkage.

8. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the discharge member is a floor pivotably attached to the bottom of the receptacle.

9. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one article dispenser for selectably dispensing into each receptacle one or more articles associated with the preselected order.

10. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pack station has an interior space for receiving articles discharged from the receptacle.

11. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an inserter for inserting at least one order identification item into each receptacle, the inserter comprising

a sensor for reading the indicia on each passing receptacle, and

a processor to generate downloadable data based upon the information represented by the order identification item and the indicia of a particular receptacle.

12. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of pack stations, each pack station having an interior space for receiving the articles discharged from the receptacle.

13. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the system controller assigns each receptacle to at least one pack station.

14. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 13, wherein each pack station has predetermined packing attributes that are stored by the system controller.

15. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the system controller assigns each receptacle to one of the pack stations having packing attributes that match the downloadable data generated by the processor.

16. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of order identification items, each order identification item specifying the articles associated with the preselected customer order.

17. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one receptacle is assigned to receive articles associated with at least one order identification item.

18. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least two receptacles are assigned to receive articles associated with one order identification item.

19. An order selection and distribution system for selecting and delivering a plurality of articles associated with a preselected customer order to a predetermined location for packing, the order selection and distribution system comprising:

(a) a series of containers for releasably retaining the articles to be delivered, each container having

i) an open top,

ii) a wall having a peripheral edge that defines a portion of an interior space of the container,

iii) indicia for uniquely identifying the container,

iv) a door movably attached to the wall to support the articles in the interior space,

v) a discharge opening for discharging the articles, the discharge opening being controlled by the door, and

vi) a drive mechanism for controlling the movement of the door from a closed position to an open position at a predetermined location in the system,

(b) a conveyor for transporting each container through the system,

(c) a plurality of pack stations arranged along the direction of movement of the conveyor, each pack station being adapted to receive articles discharged from one or more of the containers,

(d) a door opening assembly associated with each pack station for selectably engaging the drive mechanism of the containers to cause the door to move to the open position to discharge the articles through the discharge opening,

(e) a door closing assembly for returning the door to the closed position after the articles have been discharged, and

(f) a system controller for tracking the location of the containers in the system and for generating a discharge signal to cause the door opening assembly to engage the drive mechanism when a container is at a predetermined discharge location in the system.

20. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a plurality of sensors for reading the indicia of each container, each sensor being positioned along the direction of movement of the conveyor to identify the location of each container.

21. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

(a) an inserter for inserting an order identification item into each container to assign the container to a preselected customer order, the order identification item having indicia specifying the articles associated with the preselected customer order and the packing requirements of the order, and

(b) a plurality of article dispensers arranged along the direction of movement of the conveyor, each article dispenser having a device to selectively dispense one or more articles into one or more of the containers based upon the articles identified in the order identification item.

22. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a sensor for reading the indicia on each container and for reading the indicia associated with the order identification item, the sensor having a processor to generate an order signal based upon the information associated with the indicia on the container and the order identification item.

23. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the system controller downloads the order signal to generate a signal to instruct the article dispensers to dispense one or more articles into at least one of the containers.

24. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 23, wherein each pack station has packing attributes that are unique to it.

25. The order selection and distribution system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the system controller assigns, in round-robin fashion, at least one container to one of the pack stations having packing attributes commensurate with information represented by the order signal.

26. A method of selecting and distributing a plurality of articles associated with a preselected customer order in an order selection and distribution system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of containers for containing the articles associated with the preselected order, each container having an identification means,

conveying the containers to a preselected location,

determining if each container has been previously assigned to an order,

placing an order identification item into each container not previously assigned to an order, the order identification item specifying the articles associated with the preselected order,

associating the order identification item with the identification means of the container,

dispersing into the container the articles specified in the order identification item,

conveying each container to a plurality of pack stations,

assigning each container to at least one of the pack stations based the information represented by the order identification item,

releasing the contents of each container into one of the pack stations, and

recirculating the container through the system.