Robotic pick up and deliver system

• US 6,543,983 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation (University of Virginia)
• Original Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation (University of Virginia)
• Inventors: Felder, Robin, Turner, Randy, Holman, William, Estey, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James W.
• Application Number:
  US09/501,863
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 414/222.09, 414/222.13, 414/226.01, 414/265, 414/277, 414/279, 414/286, 414/331.07, 414/331.08, 414/337, 414/338, 414/343, 414/389, 414/395, 414/396, 414/402, 414/539, 414/584, 414/806, 414/809, 414/909
• US Class Current: 414/402
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/10 by means of magazines
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1442 using carts carrying work holders

Abstract

A pick up and delivery system for use with mobile robots which have a body with a horizontal upper surface and at least one vertical side. The robot has at least one shelf, each of which contains a stop bar containing a retaining device. The system further uses multiple stations, each of which contain at least one pallet retaining surface to contain at least two pallets. The pallet retaining surfaces are provided with a holding device at the pick up area and a holding device at the delivery area. Pallets are used to retain the items being transferred with each of the pallets having a securing device that interacts with the holding device and retaining device. The strength of the holding device at the pick up area is less than the holding device at the delivery area, with the robot'"'"'s retaining device having a strength between the strength of the holding devices. The mobile robot picks up a pallet from a first station, and delivers the pallet to a second station.

Claims

1. A pick up and delivery system for use with at least one mobile robot traveling on a base surface, said system comprising:

at least one fixed station, said at least one fixed station comprising a pick up position and a delivery position;

said pick up position having;

at least one pick-up pallet retaining surface;

a holding member, said holding member being affixed to said pick up position proximate said at least one pick-up pallet retaining surface and having a first retaining strength;

said delivery position having;

at least one delivery pallet retaining surface;

a delivery member, said delivery member being affixed to said delivery position proximate said at least one delivery pallet retaining surface and having a second retaining strength;

said at least one mobile robot having;

at least one shelf,

at least one retaining member, said retaining member having a third retaining strength;

at least one pallet, said at least one pallet having a pair of ends and a length, each of said ends having securing means, said securing means interacting with said holding member, said delivery member and said retaining member;

said third retaining strength being greater than said first retaining strength and said second retaining strength being greater than said third retaining strength;

wherein said retaining member interacts with said securing means to pick-up and maintain said at least one pallet from said at least one pick-up pallet retaining surface to said shelf on said robot; and

wherein said delivery member interacts with said securing means to deliver and maintain said at least one pallet from said shelf to said delivery pallet retaining surface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one fixed station further comprises a body, each of said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces being at right angles to said fixed station body and parallel to said base surface.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said at least one shelf is parallel to said base surface and further comprises at least one stop bar, said at least one stop bar being secured to said at least one shelf.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said at least one shelf has a height from said base surface slightly greater than the height of said pallet pick-up and delivery retaining surfaces from said base surface, thereby allowing said at least one shelf to overlap each of said pallet retaining surfaces a distance sufficient to allow said retaining member to come in contact with said pallet securing means.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising at least one stop bar, said stop bar being affixed to said shelf, said stop bar further comprises a spring member, said spring member moving horizontally to absorb shock when said robot docks with said at least one fixed station to prevent damage to said at least one fixed station, said pallet and said robot.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising guide bars, said guide bars being affixed to said at least one shelf and directing the direction of said at least one pallet to enable said securing means to contact said retaining member.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the height from said base surface to said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces is adjustable along said body.

8. The system of claims 7 wherein said at least one fixed station further comprises receiving notches, said receiving notches being positioned at various distances from said base surface and said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces further comprises flanges, said flanges interacting with said receiving notches to affix said pick-up and delivery retaining pallet surfaces along said at least one fixed station.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one shelf is a different height from other shelves, thereby enabling said robot to carry multiple pallets and dock with said at least one fixed station having said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces at multiple heights.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one fixed station further comprises a body, and wherein at least one set of said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces is at a different height from other pickup and delivery pallet retaining surfaces along said body, one end of said set of pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces being attached to said body, and an other end of said set of pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces being unattached to said body.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces are at an angle from said body, said attached end being closer to said base surface than an unattached end.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one mobile robot further comprises a body having a vertical side, and wherein said at least one shelf is at a different height from other shelves along said vertical side of said at least one mobile robot, one end of said at least one shelf being attached to said vertical side, thereby enabling said at least one mobile robot to pick up and deliver multiple said pallets to said at least one fixed station simultaneously.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said at least one shelf is at an angle from said vertical side, said attached end being farther from said base surface than an unattached end.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said unattached ends of each of said pickup and delivery pallet retaining surfaces and said unattached end of each of said shelves abut one another, thereby allowing said pallet to slide from said shelves to said pickup and delivery pallet retaining surfaces.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising piston means, said piston means being within said fixed station body proximate said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces, said piston moving said at least one pallet to said at least one shelf to come in contact with said at least one retaining member.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces are hinged to said fixed station body and releasing said hinge places said unattached end closer to said base surface than said attached end, thereby permitting said at least one pallet to slide onto said at least one shelf.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said holding member, said delivery member and said at least one retaining member are magnets.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said holding member, said delivery member and said at least one retaining member are electromagnets.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said at least one fixed station and said at least one mobile robot further comprise multiple sensors, each of said multiple sensors being positioned to register the presence or absence of a pallet.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each of said multiple sensors transmits the absence or presence of a pallet to a processing unit, whereby said at least one mobile robot receives the location of said at least one pallet to pick up and said processing unit can track the location of said at least one pallet.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile robot approaches said at least one fixed station at right angles to said pick-up and delivery pallet retaining surfaces.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one fixed station further comprises a locking member, said locking member locking said at least one pallet within said at least one fixed station to prevent access to said at least one pallet until released by said at least one mobile robot or released manually.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said at least one mobile robot further comprises a pallet release member, said release member releasing said locking member to permit removal of said at least one pallet from said at least one fixed station.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein a first of said ends of said at least one pallet comprises a sensor and has height from a base portion of said length greater than a second end, whereby said at least one mobile robot communicating with said sensor indicates said at least one pallet is empty and said at least one mobile robot not communicating with said sensor indicates said at least one pallet is full.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one pallet is configured to mate and interact with a deliver area of a machine, said at least one mobile robot delivering said pallets to said machine, said delivered pallets being at least partially full of contents therein, and removing said pallets from said machine, said removed pallets being vacant of contents therein.