Method for placing a palletless goods package in a stock shelf and delivering therefrom and for controlling logistics of packages

• US 8,554,643 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konecranes Finland Oy (Konecranes Oyj)
• Original Assignee: Suomen Teollisuusosa Oy (Konecranes Oyj)
• Inventors: Kortelainen, Sami
• Primary Examiner(s): OBAID, FATEH M
• Application Number:
  US13/074,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20110176895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0435 with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0464 with access from above
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0485 Check-in, check-out devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/041 Camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and equipment to stack palletless and as to their size variable packages (1) on warehouse rack (15) and to retrieve them from the rack and to control the logistics of packages, in which the warehouse rack is furnished with an automatic packages stacking and retrieving robot, and in which the control of warehouse data and logistics takes place by a data system. Equipment (5) receives package (1), for instance, onto conveyor belt (2), equipment (5) carries out weighing of package (1), determination for the necessary space requirement, reading of remote code connected to package (1), as RFID code (20) in order to choose the rack space determined for it on basis of previous functions, and package (1) is retrieved from the rack steered either by the order of the user or of the data system, and the data from above mentioned stacking and retrieving functions are transmitted to the data system.

Claims

1. Equipment to stack palletless packages by a variable size of each package on racks in a warehouse and subsequently for retrieving the packages from the racks, and to control logistics of the stacked packages, said equipment comprising:

a rack unit in a warehouse,

a data system,

at least one reception and delivery station which includes

detectors of a package, and

a communication arrangement to the data system,

an overhead rail system of the warehouse,

a moving robot which moves on the overhead rail system and which stacks and retrieves packages relative to the rack unit, the stacking and retrieving robot including

moving equipment for movement on rails of the rail system,

locating equipment to locate the moving robot on a selected rail,

an encapsulating upper part and a goods transporting lower part, wherein in a protected position the upper part encapsulates the lower part together with any package thereon,

lifting equipment which, relative to the upper part, selectively lets down the goods transporting part to different rack levels and lifts up the goods transporting part to the protected position,

a transfer device in the lower part which moves a package thereon selectively onto the lower part or away from the lower part, and

a lock which locks at least a bottom and sides of a package receiving space of the lower part when the lower part is lifted to the protected position in the upper part.

2. Equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a blocking arrangement which prevents movement of the package on a rail if the lower part is not lifted up to the protected position in the upper part.

3. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the lifting equipment includes lifting cables.