Pickface builder for storage and retrieval systems

• US 10,875,722 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2018
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• 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, III, Lester
• Application Number:
  US15/991,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20180273306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 198429, 198437, 198 7002, 198741, 198718, 1983471, 1983473, 198575, 198802
• 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 pickface builder for a storage and retrieval system with an array of storage shelves 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 comprising:

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

the pusher member and the snugger member are configured to form the goods units into a pickface picked by the picking device as a unit, where the pickface is formed, by the pusher and snugger member, so as to have a predetermined reference datum that is formed by the goods units of the pickface so as to define a structural positioning feature of the pickface, the structural positioning feature defined by the predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of storage shelves of the array of storage shelves of the storage and retrieval system.

2. The pickface builder of claim 1, wherein the pusher member is movable in at least two orthogonal directions for pushing the goods units towards the snugger member.

3. The pickface builder of claim 2, wherein the snugger member is positioned to create the predetermined reference datum as the pusher member pushes goods units towards the snugger member.

4. The pickface builder of claim 1, wherein the pickface builder further comprises a movable gate disposed adjacent the snugger member for retaining at least one goods unit as a pickface is formed from the at least one goods unit.

5. The pickface builder of claim 1, wherein the pickface builder further comprises a resolver member configured to obtain goods unit data as goods units are transferred to the pickface builder from the in-feed conveyor.

6. The pickface builder of claim 5, wherein the pickface builder is configured to form pickfaces based on at least the goods unit data obtained from the resolver member.

7. The pickface builder of claim 5, wherein the resolver member is configured to confirm an identity of the goods units being transferred to the pickface builder from the in-feed conveyor.

8. The pickface builder of claim 5, wherein the pickface builder is configured to modify 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 pickface builder of claim 1, wherein the pickface builder further comprises a controller in communication with a controller of the picking device, the controller being configured to associate pickfaces with storage shelves of the array of storage shelves for tracking a position of each pickface on the picking device relative to the placement position of goods units forming the pickface on the storage shelves.

10. The pickface builder of claim 1, wherein the pickface builder includes a controller configured to create motion profiles for the pusher member and snugger member based at least on predetermined goods unit data accessible by the controller.

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

12. The pickface builder of claim 10, 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.

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

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

15. A storage and retrieval system with an array of storage shelves comprising:

an in-feed conveyor;

an in-feed station;

a pickface builder disposed between the in-feed conveyor and in-feed station; and

a picking device connected to the in-feed station, the in-feed station being configured to transfer goods units to the picking device where each goods unit holds at least one product package therein;

wherein, the pickface builder includes;

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 at least one of the pusher member and snugger member are movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel onto the pickface builder from the in-feed conveyor, the pusher member and the snugger member are configured to form the goods units picked by the picking device as a unit into a pickface so that the pickface has a predetermined reference datum that is formed by the goods units of the pickface so as to define a structural positioning feature of the pickface, the structural positioning feature defined by the predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of storage shelves of the array of storage shelves of the storage and retrieval system.

16. The pickface builder of claim 15, wherein the pickface builder further comprises a controller in communication with a controller of the picking device, the controller being configured to associate pickfaces with storage shelves of the array of storage shelves for tracking a position of each pickface on the picking device relative to the placement position of goods units forming the pickface on the storage shelves.

17. The storage and retrieval system of claim 15, wherein the pickface builder further includes a controller configured to create motion profiles for the pusher member and snugger member based at least on predetermined goods unit data accessible by the controller.

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

19. The storage and retrieval system 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.