A system for automatic delivery of an order in bags to a pick-up location outside a building. Such a system includes: a device for signalling and/or detecting presence of a customer in the vicinity of the pick-up location; and a height-mounted transport module, which includes: a plurality of elements for suspending the bags from a track; an automatic displacement device for automatically moving the suspension elements on said track; and an actuator for actuating said automatic displacement device to displace the bags in which the various parts of said order have been deposited, to said pick-up location when said signalling and/or detection device emits a signal confirming the presence of said user in the vicinity of said pick-up location.

A system for picking articles from storage containers into containers by using a computer for handling and processing picking orders and a picking station according to the good-to-person-principle. Selected articles by the computer are picked from the storage containers into conveyor bags, and a suspension conveyor transports the conveyor bags to a packing location for packing the articles assigned to a picking order, and retrieves the conveyor bags into the order container assigned to the picking order. An order container conveyor transports order containers (boxes), and the computer processes a first picking order to determine the number of article to be picked at the picking station such that the number of articles required for picking the first picking order is picked into the order container assigned to the first picking order with later articles matched/picked to a conveyor bag for later picking of further picking orders at the packing location.

A system and method for a picking station operation, provides switched flexibly between single-step- and dual-step-picking into various types of order containers. The task is solved by the provision of a second order container conveyor technique for transporting second order containers, in particular boxes, for receiving articles into order container bays, arranged also in the arrangement row, of the picking station.

A warehousing system for storing and retrieving goods disposed in containers is provided. The system includes a multilevel storage array including an array of storage shelves for holding containers thereon, at least one substantially continuous lift for transporting containers to and from at least one level of the storage array, at least one transport vehicle located on the at least one level and configured to traverse a transport area transporting containers between the at least one continuous lift and container storage locations so that the at least one continuous lift communicates non-deterministically, via the transport vehicle, with storage locations of each of the storage shelves on the at least one level, an infeed transport system linked to the at least one continuous lift, and an order fulfillment station for generating order containers corresponding to customer orders where the order containers are entered onto the storage shelves of the storage array.

A system and method for preparing and delivering product orders, such as consumer products, and is applicable in the field of B-to-C (business-to-consumer) marketing of such products (foodgeneral merchandiseDIY, etc.), and more particularly according to a Drive marketing mode. The products are distributed into at least two different categories based on their nature. For each product category, an order preparation zone is provided, including: one or more storage and preparation zones for products to be withdrawn, one or more storage and reconciliation zones for storing containers containing the withdrawn products, including at least one device for supplying complete orders for that product category, a conveying system for conveying empty or full containers from the storage and preparation zone(s) for products to be withdrawn toward the storage and reconciliation zone(s), and vice versa.

A method for collecting products listed in an order in a product collecting system having a plurality of modules, the method including: assigning the order to a module, allocating a product listed in the order to the order if the product is already available in the module, allocating a product to the order from another module if the product of the slow-moving type is not already available in the module whereas it is available in the other module, allocating a product to the order from a pallet warehouse if the product of the slow-moving type is not already available in the module nor in another module, and releasing the order and loading the products onto a collecting carrier when all the products listed in the order have been collected in the module.

A method for collecting products listed in an order in a product collecting system having a plurality of modules, the method including: assigning the order to a module, allocating a product listed in the order to the order if the product is already available in the module, allocating a product to the order from another module if the product of the slow-moving type is not already available in the module whereas it is available in the other module, allocating a product to the order from a pallet warehouse if the product of the slow-moving type is not already available in the module nor in another module, and releasing the order and loading the products onto a collecting carrier when all the products listed in the order have been collected in the module.

A system and method for a picking station operation, provides switched flexibly between single-step- and dual-step-picking into various types of order containers. The task is solved by the provision of a second order container conveyor technique for transporting second order containers, in particular boxes, for receiving articles into order container bays, arranged also in the arrangement row, of the picking station.

A system for picking articles from storage containers into containers by using a computer for handling and processing picking orders and a picking station according to the good-to-person-principle. Selected articles by the computer are picked from the storage containers into conveyor bags, and a suspension conveyor transports the conveyor bags to a packing location for packing the articles assigned to a picking order, and retrieves the conveyor bags into the order container assigned to the picking order. An order container conveyor transports order containers (boxes), and the computer processes a first picking order to determine the number of article to be picked at the picking station such that the number of articles required for picking the first picking order is picked into the order container assigned to the first picking order with later articles matched/picked to a conveyor bag for later picking of further picking orders at the packing location.

Disclosed are various embodiments for a multiple speed, multiple conveyor storage system for items in a materials handling facility such as a fulfillment center. In one embodiment, the item storage system includes a first conveyor configured to operate at one speed, a second conveyor configured to operate at a different speed, and a transfer device configured to transfer items between the conveyors. The conveyors are each configured to store items in motion in a circuit arrangement.