US-12623842-B2 - Handling garments in an automated warehouse

Abstract

Some embodiments are directed to a method for retrieving garments within an automatic warehouse. The method may include maintaining sets of garments in enclosures, the enclosures are positioned on shelfs of the automatic warehouse. Each set of garments is located within an enclosure of the enclosures, and is hung on hangers located within the enclosure; accessing a selected enclosure of the enclosures, by a first robot. The selected enclosure encloses a garment of interest; obtaining the selected enclosure by the first robot; and providing the enclosure to an interface point within the automatic warehouse, by the first robot.

Inventors

• Guy GLASS
• Reuven DELLA TORRE

Assignees

• CAJA ELASTIC DYNAMIC SOLUTIONS LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20210117

Claims (18)

1. 1 . An enclosure for transporting one or more garments, wherein said enclosure is configured to be conveyed by a robot along a path calculated for movement in an automatic warehouse comprising storage units and one or more other robots, the enclosure comprising: a plurality of surfaces, including bottom and top surfaces, and sidewall surfaces extending therebetween, said plurality of surfaces are connected together to define an enclosure space having an upper region configured to accommodate said one or more garments, and a bottom part including said bottom surface; a bar extending between two of said sidewall surfaces in the upper region of the enclosure for supporting at least one hanger hanging a garment; and a supporting element shaped as a topless box being configured to fit and surround the bottom part of the enclosure, wherein said supporting element is more rigid than at least a higher portion of the enclosure to thereby lower the center of mass of said enclosure and thereby prevent tilt and stabilize the enclosure during conveying, said supporting element configured to be positioned on an adaptor having inner spaces configured to allow a fork of the robot to progress below the enclosure while the enclosure is supported by the adaptor.
2. 2 . The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein a height of the enclosure is configured to be high enough to enable the one or more garments within the enclosure to be hung and be unfolded while maintaining stability during robotic conveyance in the automatic warehouse.
3. 3 . The enclosure of claim 2 , wherein the height of the enclosure exceeds 80 cm.
4. 4 . The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein a size and a shape of the enclosure is configured to fit a space defined in between shelves of the automatic warehouse.
5. 5 . The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of surfaces comprises three sidewalls configured to define an opening to enable access to the one or more garments within the enclosure.
6. 6 . The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surfaces comprises an opening being configured to enable access to the one or more garments within the enclosure.
7. 7 . The enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor being located on an external surface of the enclosure or within the enclosure, said at least one sensor being configured to monitor a position and a tilt of the enclosure during conveying.
8. 8 . The enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising at least a pair of additional supporting elements being located on top of the at least one supporting element; each one of said at least a pair of additional supporting elements being positioned on a symmetrical side of the at least one supporting element.
9. 9 . A system for retrieving garments within an automatic warehouse, the system comprising: the enclosure of claim 1 and a robot being configured to access a selected enclosure enclosing a garment of interest among a plurality of enclosures being positioned on shelves of the automatic warehouse, obtaining the selected enclosure and conveying the enclosure to an interface point within the automatic warehouse.
10. 10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising at least one sensor being located on the robot or outside the robot, the at least one sensor being configured to monitor a position and a tilt of the enclosure during conveying.
11. 11 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a computerized system being configured to receive a request to obtain the garment of interest, determine a location of the selected enclosure, and instruct the robot to access the selected enclosure.
12. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said computerized system is configured to control a progress of the robot during conveying the enclosure.
13. 13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein said computerized system is configured to at least one of: reduce a maximal allowable acceleration or deceleration of the robot, change the robot path to move along smooth change of direction curves.
14. 14 . A method for conveying the enclosure of claim 1 by a robot in an automatic warehouse, the method comprises: stabilizing said enclosure by fitting it in the support element; placing said enclosure on the adaptor having the inner spaces; mounting the stabilized enclosure on the robot by positioning a fork of said robot in the inner spaces of the adaptor to reside below the enclosure; and conveying the enclosure in the automatic warehouse along a path calculated for movement in the automatic warehouse comprising storage units and one or more other robots.
15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , comprising monitoring a position and a tilt of the enclosure during the conveying by reducing a maximal allowable acceleration or deceleration of the robot, and/or changing the robot path to move along smooth change of direction curves.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the monitoring of the position and tilt of the enclosure during conveying comprises correcting in real time the path of the robot to accommodate for the tilt of the enclosure.
17. 17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the enclosure is a selected enclosure enclosing a garment of interest among a plurality of enclosures being positioned on shelves of the automatic warehouse, and wherein the method comprises conveying the enclosure to an interface point within the automatic warehouse.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising receiving a request to obtain the garment of interest, determining a location of the selected enclosure, and instructing the robot to access the selected enclosure.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/962,269 filing date Jan. 17, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND Garments are relatively delicate items and their transportation has to take into account their delicacy. SUMMARY There is provided a solution for storing and conveying garments in automatic warehouses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to understand the embodiment and to see how it may be implemented in practice, a plurality of embodiments will now be described, by way of nonlimiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a storage unit of an automatic warehouse; FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a robot with an enclosure; FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a storage unit of an automatic warehouse; FIG. 4 illustrates examples of enclosures and multiple clothes that are hung on hangers within the enclosures; FIG. 5 illustrates examples of enclosures and one or more support elements for supporting the enclosures; FIG. 6 illustrates an examples of an automatic warehouse; and FIG. 7 illustrates is an example of a method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following description is provided, alongside all chapters of the present embodiment, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make use of said embodiment and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out this embodiment. Various modifications, however, will remain apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present embodiment have been defined specifically to provide a means and method for handling goods on hangers. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present embodiment However, those skilled in the art will understand that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Just as each feature recalls the entirety, so may it yield the remainder. And ultimately when the features manifest, so an entirely new feature be recalled. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the embodiment. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Any reference in the specification to either one of a system, a method and a non-transitory computer readable medium should be applied mutatis mutandis to any other of the system, a method and a non-transitory computer readable medium. For example—any reference to a system should be applied mutatis mutandis to a method that can be executed by the system and to a non-transitory computer readable medium that may stores instructions executable by the system. Because the illustrated at least one embodiment of the present invention may for the most part, be implemented using electronic components and circuits known to those skilled in the art, details will not be explained in any greater extent than that considered necessary as illustrated above, for the understanding and appreciation of the underlying concepts of the present invention and in order not to obfuscate or distract from the teachings of the present invention. Any number, or value illustrated below should be regarded as a non-limiting example. The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C toget