Storage and retrieval system

• US 9,096,375 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Inventors: Lert, John, Toebes, Stephen, Sullivan, Robert, Hinshaw, Foster D, Ulrich, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): SNELTING, JONATHAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/757,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20100316468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 414/275, 414/279, 414/281, 414/284
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/045 in a circular arrangement, e.g. towers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0485 Check-in, check-out devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/065 with self propelled cars
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/10 with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/127 the circuit being confined in a vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1378 the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/57 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassible.

Claims

1. An automated case unit storage system for handling case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising:

a multilevel array of storage spaces arrayed on multiple levels and in multiple rows at each level, each storage space of the array being capable of holding an uncontained case unit therein;

a continuous loop vertical lift having a lift support configured for holding and lifting the uncontained case unit to the levels of the array, the continuous loop vertical lift moving the lift support substantially continuously at a substantially constant rate; and

a transport cart with an effector capable of holding the uncontained case unit thereon, the cart being movable through the array on at least one of the levels to effect transfer of the uncontained case unit from the lift support to the storage spaces;

wherein the continuous loop vertical lift and transport cart are arranged so that the uncontained case on the lift support can be transferred by the transport cart with one pick to each storage space on the at least one level of the array with the continuous loop vertical lift moving the lift support at the substantially constant rate.

2. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1, wherein the continuous vertical lift is a common lift to each storage space on the at least one level.

3. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1, wherein the continuous vertical lift is a common lift to each storage space of the array of storage spaces.

4. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1, wherein the each storage space has fixed structure that defines a seating surface contacting the uncontained case unit stored in the storage space.

5. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1, wherein the effector is integral to and dependent from structure of the at least one transport cart, the effector defining case unit seating surface contacting the uncontained case unit being held by the effector.

6. An automated case unit storage system for handling case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising:

a multilevel array of storage spaces arrayed on multiple levels and in multiple rows at each level, each storage space of the array being capable of holding an uncontained case unit therein;

at least one continuous loop vertical lift having a lift support configured for holding and lifting the uncontained case unit to the levels of the array, the continuous loop vertical lift moving , the lift support substantially continuously at a substantially constant rate; and

a transport cart with an effector capable of holding the uncontained case unit thereon, the cart being movable through the array on at least one of the levels to effect transfer of the uncontained case unit from a respective one of the storage spaces to the at least one continuous loop vertical lift;

wherein each storage space and transport cart are arranged so that the uncontained case in a respective storage space can be transferred by the transport cart with one pick to each of the at least one continuous loop vertical lift on the at least one level of the array with the at least one continuous loop vertical lift moving the lift support at the substantially constant rate.

7. The automated case unit storage system of claim 6, wherein each storage space on the at least one level is a common storage space to the at least one continuous vertical lift on the at least one level.

8. The automated case unit storage system of claim 6, wherein each storage space of the array of storage spaces is a storage space to the continuous vertical lift.