EP-4735357-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION AND FULFILLMENT

Abstract

Aspects of the present application relate to an order fulfillment system. The order fulfillment system may include one or more product induction regions. A given product induction region may include a plurality of product storage apparatuses, with each product storage apparatus holding a plurality of products, and a product transfer apparatus operable to transfer a product, among the plurality of products, into a shipping container. The order fulfillment system may include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). A given AMR may move to a shipping container delivery system to receive a shipping container. The AMR may then move the shipping container to the product transfer apparatus to receive the product. The AMR may then move to at least one further location for further processing of the shipping container. Conveniently, the order fulfillment system may be combined with a production system. In an arrangement wherein the product storage apparatuses are universal crates, the universal crates, when empty, may be returned to production system to be refilled with products.

Inventors

• LANGEN, H. J. PAUL

Assignees

• Lights-Out Fulfillment Systems Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240207

Claims (20)

1. 1. A fulfillment system comprising: a first product induction region including: a plurality of product storage apparatuses, each product storage apparatus, among the plurality of product storage apparatuses, holding a plurality of products; and a first product transfer apparatus operable to transfer a first product, among a first plurality of products held by a first product storage apparatus among the plurality of storage apparatuses, into a shipping container; a shipping container autonomous mobile robot (AMR); a shipping container delivery system operable to deliver the shipping container to the shipping container AMR; the shipping container AMR operable to: travel, according to shipping container AMR instructions, to the shipping container delivery system; wait, at the shipping container delivery system, to receive the shipping container; travel, while holding the shipping container and according to the shipping container AMR instructions, to the first product transfer apparatus; wait, at the first product transfer apparatus and according to shipping container AMR instructions, for the first product to be transferred, by the first product transfer apparatus, from the product storage apparatus into the shipping container; and travel, while holding the shipping container with the first product inside and according to the shipping container AMR instructions, to at least one location for further processing of the shipping container.
2. 2. The fulfillment system claimed in claim 212, further comprising: a control system including a processor, the processor operable to: generate shipping container delivery system instructions; and generate the shipping container AMR instructions; wherein the shipping container delivery system is configured to: receive, from the processor, the shipping container delivery instructions; and according to the shipping container delivery instructions, deliver the shipping container to the shipping container AMR; the shipping container AMR configured to receive, from the processor, the shipping container AMR instructions.
3. 3. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of product storage apparatuses comprises a plurality of pallets within the first product induction region, each pallet, among the plurality of pallets, holding the plurality of products, and wherein the first product storage apparatus comprises a selected pallet selected, by the processor, from among the plurality of pallets.
4. 4. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selected pallet is located at a first pallet storage position in the first product induction region.
5. 5. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein selected pallet holds a plurality of products corresponding to a single stock keeping unit.
6. 6. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the first product induction region includes the plurality of pallets located at a respective plurality of pallet storage positions.
7. 7. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of pallet storage positions are positioned in a row.
8. 8. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first pallet storage position is positioned at a first end position of the row of the pallet storage positions.
9. 9. The fulfillment system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the first product transfer apparatus comprises a robotic picking apparatus controlled by the processor.
10. 10. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first product is held directly upon the selected pallet.
11. 11. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first product is held in a crate and the crate is supported on the selected pallet.
12. 12. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the crate comprises a first crate of a plurality of crates and wherein the plurality of crates are stacked vertically in series on top of each other in a crate stack supported on the selected pallet.
13. 13. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least some crates among the plurality of crates contain at least one product among the plurality of products.
14. 14. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 13, wherein each crate among the plurality of crates contains at least one product among the plurality of products.
15. 15. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the plurality of crates are stacked vertically in a nested arrangement.
16. 16. The fulfillment system as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15, further comprising a crate lifting apparatus controlled by the processor and operable to lift all crates in the crate above the first crate, to expose a top opening of the first crate, thereby allowing the robotic picking apparatus to pick up the first product and transfer the first product to the shipping container.
17. 17. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a lid covering an open top of a top crate in the crate stack.
18. 18. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the lid is constructed of a weight sufficient to stabilize the crate stack.
19. 19. The fulfillment system as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the crate lifting apparatus is further operable to lift just the lid from the top crate in the crate stack, to expose the open top of the top crate.
20. 20. The fulfillment system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 19, further comprising: a second product induction region, wherein the second product induction region includes a product tower, the product tower including a plurality of compartments for storing products, and wherein at least one compartment among the plurality of compartments includes one or more products, the one or more products corresponding with at least one stock keeping unit; and a second product transfer apparatus operable to transfer a second product from the product tower to the shipping container; wherein the shipping container AMR is further operable to: travel, while holding the shipping container with the first product inside and according to the shipping container AMR instructions, to the second product transfer apparatus; wait, at the second product transfer apparatus, for a second product to be transferred, by the second product transfer apparatus, from the product tower into the shipping container; and travel, while holding the shipping container with the first product and the second product inside and according to the shipping container AMR instructions, to at least one further location for further processing of the shipping container.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION AND FULFILLMENT FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present disclosure relates, generally, to systems and methods for production and fulfillment. BACKGROUND [0002] Containers are used to package many different kinds of products. One form of container used in the packaging industry is what is known generically as a “box” and it can be used to hold various products and sometimes other boxes containing products. Some in the packaging industry refer to boxes used to package one or more products as “cartons.” Also in the industry, there are containers/boxes that are known by some as “cases.” In this patent document, including the claims, the words “case,” “cases,” “carton,” “cartons,” “container” and “containers” are used interchangeably to refer to boxes, cartons, trays, envelopes and/or cases and the like that can be used to package any type of items including products and other cartons. [0003] Cases come in many different configurations and are made from a wide variety of materials. However, many cases are foldable and are formed from a flattened state (commonly called a carton blank). Cases may be made from an assortment of foldable materials, including, but not limited to, cardboard, chipboard, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard, other types of corrugated materials, plastic materials, composite materials and the like and possibly even combinations thereof. [0004] Cases can be used to fulfil an order initiated by a customer for one or more products by obtaining each product from one or more locations in a storage facility such as a warehouse, loading the product(s) into a case, sealing the loaded case and then shipping the loaded case to a customer. [0005] However, there are many obstacles to providing efficient methods and systems to fulfil customer orders, particularly where it is desirable to be able to fulfil orders for a large number of customers that may each have orders for a wide range of different kinds and/or numbers of products. SUMMARY [0006] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided an order fulfillment system. The order fulfillment system includes a first product induction region including a plurality of product storage apparatuses, each product storage apparatus, among the plurality of product storage apparatuses, holding a plurality of products and a first product transfer apparatus operable to transfer a first product, among a first plurality of products held by a first product storage apparatus among the plurality of storage apparatuses, into a shipping container. The order fulfillment system also includes a shipping container autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and a shipping container delivery system operable to deliver the shipping container to the shipping container AMR. The shipping container AMR is operable to travel, according to shipping container AMR instructions, to the shipping container delivery system, wait, at the shipping container delivery system, to receive the shipping container, travel, while holding the shipping container and according to the shipping container AMR instructions, to the first product transfer apparatus, wait, at the first product transfer apparatus and according to shipping container AMR instructions, for the first product to be transferred, by the first product transfer apparatus, from the product storage apparatus into the shipping container and travel, while holding the shipping container with the first product inside and according to the shipping container AMR instructions, to at least one location for further processing of the shipping container. [0007] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a fulfilment system. The system includes a first product induction region comprising a plurality of product storage apparatuses, each product storage apparatuses among the plurality of product storage apparatuses, holding a plurality of products, a first product transfer apparatus operable to transfer a first product among a first plurality of products held by a first product storage apparatus among the plurality storage apparatuses, into a shipping container, a shipping container autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and a shipping container delivery system operable to deliver the shipping container to the shipping container AMR. The method includes the shipping container AMR travelling to the shipping container delivery system, waiting to receive, from the shipping container delivery system, the shipping container, travelling, while holding the shipping container, to the first product transfer apparatus in the first product induction region, waiting to receive, at the first product transfer apparatus, the first product from the product storage apparatus, into the shipping container and travelling, while holding the shipping container with the first product inside, to at least one location for further processing of the shipping container. [0008] According to an aspect of