Modular material handling system for order fulfillment
First Claim
1. An order fulfillment system, comprising:
- inventory storage, comprising two storage areas;
a processing area disposed between the two storage areas, the processing area including;
a router module configured to receive inventory items from the inventory storage via conveyance receptacles, wherein the conveyance receptacles are transported using a conveyor mechanism, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyor mechanism;
a plurality of processing modules configured to receive the inventory items from the router module via the conveyor receptacles, and to package the inventory items; and
a shipping module configured to receive the packaged inventory items from ones of the plurality of processing modules; and
a control system operable to;
in response to a received customer order, cause a particular inventory item to be picked from the inventory storage and to be routed, via the conveyor receptacles, to the router module of the processing area; and
cause the router module to route the particular inventory item to a selected particular processing module to be packaged, wherein the particular processing module is selected based at least in part on the received customer order.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for material handling in an order fulfillment center. An order fulfillment system may include inventory storage, a processing area, and a control system. The inventory storage may in some instances include two storage areas, and in some cases the processing area may be disposed between the two storage areas. The processing area may include a router module that is configured to receive inventory items that have been picked from the inventory storage. Inventory items may be received by the router module via conveyance receptacles (e.g., totes, bins) that are conveyed using a conveyor mechanism. The processing area may also include a plurality of processing modules that may be configured to receive inventory items from the router module. In some instances, the processing modules may receive the inventory items via conveyance receptacles that are conveyed using the conveyor mechanism.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An order fulfillment system, comprising:
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inventory storage, comprising two storage areas; a processing area disposed between the two storage areas, the processing area including; a router module configured to receive inventory items from the inventory storage via conveyance receptacles, wherein the conveyance receptacles are transported using a conveyor mechanism, and wherein the conveyance receptacles are not fixed to the conveyor mechanism; a plurality of processing modules configured to receive the inventory items from the router module via the conveyor receptacles, and to package the inventory items; and a shipping module configured to receive the packaged inventory items from ones of the plurality of processing modules; and a control system operable to; in response to a received customer order, cause a particular inventory item to be picked from the inventory storage and to be routed, via the conveyor receptacles, to the router module of the processing area; and cause the router module to route the particular inventory item to a selected particular processing module to be packaged, wherein the particular processing module is selected based at least in part on the received customer order. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computing system, comprising:
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one or more processors; and memory, coupled to the one or more processors, having instructions stored thereon that in response to execution by the system cause the system to perform operations comprising; causing a plurality of inventory items received at an inventory receiving area of a fulfillment center to be routed to a storage area of the fulfillment center; causing the plurality of inventory items to be stored at the storage area; in response to a plurality of received orders, directing a plurality of stored inventory items to be picked from the storage area and routed from the storage area to a router module of a processing area of the fulfillment center, wherein the router module is configured to route the picked items to a plurality of different processing modules at the fulfillment center; selecting different ones of the plurality of different processing modules to process at least some of the items of the respective orders based at least in part on the respective received orders; and causing the router module to route the plurality of inventory items to the selected different ones of the plurality of different processing modules for each respective order to be packaged. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method, comprising:
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transporting a plurality of inventory items from an inventory receiving area of a fulfillment center to a storage area of the fulfillment center; storing the plurality of inventory items at the storage area; picking a plurality of inventory items from the storage area, wherein the picking is performed in response to a plurality of received orders; routing the plurality of picked inventory items to a router module, wherein the router module is configured to route items to a plurality of different processing modules at the fulfillment center; selecting different ones of the plurality of different processing modules to process at least some of the items of the respective orders based at least in part on the respective received order; and routing, by the router module, the plurality of inventory items for each respective order to the selected different ones of the plurality of different processing modules to be packaged. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification