Enhanced inventory holder

• US 9,073,736 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hussain, Mustafa Mustansir, Goyal, Neeraj, Subramanian, Venkataramanan, Vishwanatham, Vikas
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US14/037,145
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided

Abstract

Embodiments herein are directed to an inventory system having multiple inventory holders and drive units for moving the inventory holders. Features herein are directed to moving inventory items relative to a bin of an inventory holder or between inventory holders in the inventory system. The inventory system may include actuation units or some other mechanism on the drive units for assisting in moving inventory items relative to a bin of an inventory holder or between inventory holders. The inventory holders each include one or more inventory bins. A mobile drive unit is included, which includes an actuator configured for selectively actuating at least one of the inventory bins for moving at least one inventory item relative to the bin.

Claims

1. A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:

a plurality of inventory holders, each inventory holder comprising a frame and a plurality of inventory bins coupled with the frame, each inventory bin having a linkage associated therewith, each linkage including a first end connected with the inventory bin associated with the linkage and a second end having an engagement surface, each linkage configured to be selectively actuated to tilt at least one of the inventory bins relative to the frame;

at least one mobile drive unit comprising, an actuator configured for selectively engaging the engagement surface of at least one linkage to actuate the at least one linkage to cause at least one bin associated with the at least one linkage to tilt to move inventory out of the bin.

2. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a pusher.

3. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 1, wherein actuating said at least one linkage comprises raising said at least one linkage.

4. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a puller.

5. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 1, wherein actuating said at least one linkage comprises lowering said at least one linkage.

6. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 1, wherein tilting the bin comprises lifting a first end of the bin relative to the frame to cause the bin to rotate relative to the frame about a second end of the bin opposite the first end.

7. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 1, further comprising at least one linkage selectively arrangeable to engage different bins via different actuations of the actuator.

8. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 1, further comprising at least one linkage selectively arrangeable to engage multiple bins via a single actuation of the actuator.

9. A system for transporting inventory items, comprising:

a plurality of inventory holders, each inventory holder of the plurality of inventor holders comprising a frame and one or more inventory bins coupled with the frame, at least one of the inventory bins being configured for selective actuation to reorient said at least one of the inventory bins relative to the frame;

at least one mobile drive unit comprising an actuator configured for selectively actuating at least one of the inventory bins to reorient said at least one of the inventory bins relative to the frame to move at least one inventory item relative to said at least one of the inventory bins; and

at least one linkage selectively arrangeable to engage different bins.

10. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 9, wherein actuating the bin comprises vertically moving a first part of the bin relative to the frame to cause the bin to rotate relative to the frame about an axis.

11. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 9, comprising at least one linkage selectively arrangeable to engage multiple bins.

12. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 9, wherein the plurality of inventory holders comprises at least a sending inventory holder and a receiving inventory holder, wherein the sending inventory holder is configured to move at least one inventory item from a sending inventory bin of the sending inventory holder to the receiving inventory holder in response to actuation of the sending inventory bin.

13. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 12, wherein at least one mobile drive unit is configured to lift the sending inventory holder to align the sending inventory bin with a receiving inventory bin of the receiving inventory holder configured to receive the inventory item from the sending inventory bin.

14. The system for transporting inventory items of claim 12, wherein at least one mobile drive unit is configured to lift the receiving inventory holder to align the sending inventory bin with a receiving inventory bin of the receiving inventory holder configured to receive the inventory item from the sending inventory bin.

15. A method for moving inventory items on an inventory holder, the method comprising:

utilizing a drive unit configured to move inventory holders within an inventory workspace, the inventory holders including a first inventory holder that includes a frame and an inventory bin supported by the frame;

shifting the inventory bin relative to the frame to cause at least one inventory item to move from the inventory bin; and

utilizing the drive unit to move the inventory holder to another location in the inventory workspace.

16. The method for moving inventory items on an inventory holder of claim 15, wherein the item is moved from the inventory bin to at least one of a second inventory holder, a conveyor, a shipping container, a packaging for the item, a table, a truck, or a pallet.

17. The method for moving inventory items on an inventory holder of claim 15, wherein shifting the inventory bin relative to the frame comprises tilting the inventory bin relative to the frame.

18. The method for moving inventory items on an inventory holder of claim 15, further comprising utilizing the drive unit to vertically move one of the first inventory holder and a second inventory holder relative to the other of the first inventory holder and the second inventory holder;

and

wherein causing the at least one inventory item to move from the bin comprises moving the item from the bin to the second inventory holder.

19. The method for moving inventory items on an inventory holder of claim 15, further comprising:

utilizing a drive unit configured to move inventory holders within an inventory workspace, shifting a bin on a second inventory holder to move the bin on the second inventory holder into alignment with the bin on the first inventory holder to receive the at least one inventory item.