Pickface builder for storage and retrieval systems

• US 9,981,808 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Inventors: Sullivan, Robert, Toebes, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUSHIN, LESTER III
• Application Number:
  US15/332,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20170101274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 198429, 198437, 198 7002, 198741, 198718, 1983471, 1983473, 198575, 198801, 198802, 53543, 221175, 221186
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0485 Check-in, check-out devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/06 with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level B65G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/12 with separate article supports or holders movable in a closed circuit to facilitate insertion or removal of articles the articles being books, documents, forms or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/127 the circuit being confined in a vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/086 cubiform articles

Abstract

A pickface builder for a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units and having an in-feed conveyor and a picking device, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the pickface builder including a frame, a pusher member movably coupled to the frame, and a snugger member movably coupled to the frame, wherein the pickface builder is configured to receive goods units from the in-feed conveyor and the pusher member and snugger member are movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the in-feed conveyor and configured to form the goods units into a pickface picked by the picking device as a unit and having a predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.

Claims

1. A method for building a pickface with a pickface builder in a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the method comprising:

providing a pickface builder base;

providing a pusher member movably coupled to the pickface builder base; and

providing a snugger member movably coupled to the pickface builder base;

receiving goods units from a feed conveyor with the pickface builder;

forming, with the pusher member and snugger member, more than one of the goods units into a pickface picked by a picking device as a unit, the pusher member and snugger member being movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the feed conveyor;

forming a predetermined reference datum by relative movement between the pusher member and the snugger member, the relative movement simultaneously creating the predetermined reference datum and its position reference embodied therein so that the position reference of the predetermined reference datum embodies a structural positioning reference feature defining a corresponding structural positioning reference feature intrinsic to the pickface and is common to the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface, so as to relate each of the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface to a respective placement position of each of the goods units forming the pickface and placing the pickface as a unit along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising pushing the goods units towards the snugger member with the pusher member, where the pusher member is movable in at least two orthogonal directions.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising positioning the snugger member to create the predetermined reference datum as the pusher member pushes goods units towards the snugger member.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising retaining at least one goods unit as a pickface formed from the at least one goods unit with a movable gate disposed adjacent the snugger member.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining goods unit data with a resolver member as goods units are transferred to the pickface builder from the feed conveyor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising forming pickfaces based on at least the goods unit data obtained from the resolver member.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising confirming an identity of the goods units with the resolver member being transferred to the pickface builder from the feed conveyor.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising modifying motion profiles of at least one of the pusher member and snugger member based on the goods unit data from the resolver member.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating pickfaces with shelves of the picking device for tracking a position of the pickfaces on the picking device with a controller in communication with a controller of the picking device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating motion profiles, with a controller of the pickface builder, for the pusher member and snugger member based at least on predetermined goods unit data accessible by the controller.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller includes a memory configured to store the predetermined goods unit data.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a system controller wherein the pickface builder is in direct or indirect communication with the system controller and the predetermined goods unit data is stored in a memory of the system controller.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pickface is formed from uncontained goods units.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pickface is a surface of the uncontained goods units forming the pickface.

15. A method for building a pickface with a pickface builder in a storage and retrieval system, the method comprising:

providing a feed conveyor;

providing a feed station;

providing a pickface builder disposed between the feed conveyor and feed station;

providing a picking device connected to the feed station;

transferring goods units to the picking device with the feed station, where each goods unit holds at least one product package therein;

providing the pickface builder with a pickface builder base, a pusher member movably coupled to the pickface builder base, and a snugger member movable coupled to the pickface builder base;

receiving goods units from the feed conveyor with the pickface builder;

forming, with the pusher member and snugger member, more than one of the goods units picked by the picking device as a unit into a pickface, the pusher member and snugger member being movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the feed conveyor;

forming a predetermined reference datum by relative movement between the pusher member and the snugger member, the relative movement simultaneously creating the predetermined reference datum and its position reference embodied therein so that the position reference of the predetermined reference datum embodies a structural positioning reference feature defining a corresponding structural positioning reference feature intrinsic to the pickface and is common to the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface, so as to relate each of the more than one goods units forming the pickface to a respective placement position of each of the goods units forming the pickface and placing the pickface as a unit along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising locating the pickface builder downstream of an elbow in the feed conveyor so that the pusher member and snugger member are substantially transverse to a direction of travel of the goods units from the feed station to the picking device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising creating motion profiles, with a controller of the pickface builder, for the pusher member and snugger member based at least on predetermined goods unit data accessible by the controller.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the controller includes a memory configured to store the predetermined goods unit data.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the storage and retrieval system includes a system controller wherein the pickface builder is in direct or indirect communication with the system controller and the predetermined goods unit data is stored in a memory of the system controller.

20. A method for building a pickface with a pickface builder in a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the method comprising:

providing a pickface builder base;

providing a pusher member movably coupled to the pickface builder base; and

providing a snugger member movably coupled to the pickface builder base;

receiving goods units from a feed conveyor with the pickface builder;

forming more than one of the goods units into a pickface picked by a picking device as a unit, with the pusher member and snugger member;

forming a predetermined reference datum by relative movement between the pusher member and the snugger member, the relative movement simultaneously creating the predetermined reference datum and its position reference embodied therein so that the position reference of the predetermined reference datum embodies a structural positioning reference feature where the predetermined reference datum depends on at least one predetermined pickface characteristic and defining a corresponding structural positioning reference feature intrinsic to the pickface and is common to the more than one of the goods units forming the pickface, so as to relate each of the more than one goods units forming the pickface to a respective placement position of each of the goods units forming the pickface and placing the pickface as a unit along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.