GOODS TO PERSON ORDER PICKING WITH DISCHARGE MECHANISM

Abstract

A system and method for consolidating order items into individual or batch orders within an order fulfilment workstation and discharging the order items to a takeaway device, such as a trackable segmented conveyor. The system includes a temporary holding container at the workstation and a discharge mechanism to release or transfer the contents of the temporary container to the takeaway device. The system and method reduce or eliminate the process of an operator replenishing order transport containers to the workstation once a completed order container has dispatched from the workstation. Empty order containers are supplied the workstation via the takeaway device. The empty order container is positioned adjacent the temporary container such that the discharge mechanism may transfer the order items from the temporary container into the empty order container. The discharge mechanism may transfer the order items directly to the surface of the takeaway device.

Claims

1. An order fulfillment system comprising: an order management system comprising a computer adapted to control said order fulfilment system; a workstation configured for picking inventory items into individual orders as directed by said order management system; and a takeaway device to transport orders and/or order containers containing the orders to and from said workstation; said workstation comprising: a plurality of order consolidators disposed adjacent to said takeaway device and each configured to receive order items for a particular order as directed by said order management system; and an order discharge mechanism at each of said plurality of consolidators and configured to transfer the order items from the respective one of said consolidators to an order reception location at said takeaway device that is adjacent to said respective consolidator.

2. The order fulfilment system of claim 1, wherein each of said consolidators comprises at least one chosen from a bin, a tote, a tray, a shelf, a conveyor, a cart, and a pouch.

3. The order fulfilment system of claim 1, wherein each of said discharge mechanisms comprises at least one chosen from a tilt tray defining a portion of the corresponding one of said consolidators, a pivot shelf supporting the corresponding one of said consolidators, a dropout door disposed at a bottom portion of the corresponding one of said consolidators, a pusher arm configured to push items off of the corresponding one of said consolidators, and a selectively operable conveyor defining a portion of the corresponding one of said consolidators.

4. The order fulfilment system of claim 1, wherein said order reception location comprises one chosen from (i) a portion of said takeaway device and (ii) an order container supported at said takeaway device, wherein said order container comprises one chosen from a completed order container containing one or more completed orders, a partially completed order container containing one or more at least partially completed orders, and an empty order container.

5. The order fulfilment system of claim 4, wherein said takeaway device comprises a segmented conveyor having a plurality of independent conveyor segments in spaced arrangement with one another and each of said conveyor segments is individually addressable and/or selectively operable by said order management system.

6. The order fulfilment system of claim 4, wherein said order management system comprises a prioritization and tracking logic performed by said computer and adapted to track each of the orders present on said takeaway device and each of a plurality of said order reception locations, wherein each order present on said takeaway device is tracked relative to said order reception location at which the order is positioned.

7. The order fulfilment system of claim 6, wherein said prioritization and tracking logic, as performed by said computer, controls the takeaway device to direct each of the orders to a desired location within said order fulfilment system, said prioritization and tracking logic operable to prioritize movement of completed or partially completed order containers from their corresponding platforms against the need for empty order containers required at either of (i) platforms downstream of a particular platform supporting a completed or partially completed order container and (ii) additional workstations downstream of a particular platform supporting a completed or partially completed order container.

8. The order fulfilment system of claim 1, wherein said order reception location comprises an order container supported at said takeaway device, wherein said order management system is operable to index said order container adjacent to one of said consolidators in a manner that provides an empty order container or partially completed order container at a particular one of said consolidators at or about simultaneous to completion of an order picking operation at the particular one of said consolidators.

9. The order fulfilment system of claim 1, wherein said takeaway device comprises an autonomous mobile robot adapted to receive order items from said discharge mechanism and to transport and discharge the order items to a downstream process.

10. A method for consolidating order items into individual or batch orders, said method comprising: picking order components to an order consolidator of an order fulfilment workstation, the consolidator configured to receive order items for a particular order as directed by an order management system; wherein once the consolidator has been filled with the required order items for the particular order, transferring the order items from the consolidator to an empty or partially empty order reception location with a discharge mechanism, the order reception location located at a takeaway device adjacent to the workstation, wherein the order reception location supporting the required order items comprises a completed or partially completed order reception location; and transporting the order items downstream of the workstation with the takeaway device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the order reception location comprises an order container supported at the takeaway device and wherein said method further comprises: transporting an empty or partially empty order container to the workstation; positioning the empty or partially empty order container adjacent to the consolidator of the workstation such that the discharge mechanism is operable to discharge the order items for the particular order into the empty or partially empty order container; and wherein said transporting the order items with the takeaway device comprises transporting the completed or partially completed order container with the takeaway device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising prioritizing utilization of the takeaway device as a function of the need to move a completed or partially completed order container from the consolidator as compared with the need for empty or partially empty order containers at one or more downstream process, said prioritizing utilization of the takeaway device permits completed or partially completed order containers to be released and transported downstream of the workstation while optimizing the availability of empty or partially empty order containers to downstream processes.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the takeaway device comprises a segmented conveyor having a plurality of independent conveyor segments in spaced arrangement with one another and each of the conveyor segments is individually addressable and/or selectively operable by the order management system

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the takeaway device comprises an autonomous mobile robot adapted to receive order items from the discharge mechanism and transport and discharge the order items to a downstream process.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the discharge mechanism is configured to transfer the order items from the consolidator to the order reception location at the takeaway device adjacent to the consolidator; wherein the order reception location comprises one chosen from: a portion of the takeaway device; and an order container supported at the takeaway device; and wherein the discharge mechanism comprises at least one chosen from: a tilt tray defining a portion of the consolidator; a pivot shelf supporting the consolidator; a dropout door disposed at a bottom portion of the consolidator; a pusher arm configured to push items off of the consolidator; and a selectively operable conveyor defining a portion of the consolidator.

16. A method for consolidating order items into individual orders, said method comprising: transporting an at least partially empty order container to one of a plurality of order fulfilment workstations; positioning the at least partially empty order container adjacent to one of a plurality of order consolidators at a particular one of the workstations, each consolidator configured to receive order items for a particular order as directed by an order management system; when a particular one of the consolidators has been filled with the required item or items for the corresponding order, transferring the order items from the particular consolidator to the at least partially empty order container adjacent the consolidator with a discharge mechanism to form an at least partially completed order container; and transporting the at least partially completed order container downstream of the particular workstation with a takeaway device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said the takeaway device comprises a segmented conveyor, said method further comprising indexing a plurality of the at least partially empty order containers at individual segments of the segmented conveyor in a manner that optimizes capacity of the takeaway device by minimizing starvation of the at least partially empty order containers at the consolidators of the plurality of workstations.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising prioritizing utilization of the takeaway device by balancing (i) said transferring of at least partially completed order containers from their respective consolidators to the takeaway device with (ii) said transporting the at least partially empty order containers to the plurality of workstations in a manner such that one of the at least partially empty order containers arrives adjacent a particular one of the consolidators at or about simultaneous to completion of an order picking operation at that consolidator.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising prioritizing utilization of the takeaway device by balancing (i) said transferring of at least partially completed order containers from their respective consolidators to the takeaway device with (ii) said transporting the at least partially empty order containers to the plurality of workstations in a manner that prioritizes the supply of the at least partially empty order containers to empty consolidators at the plurality of workstations over the release and transport of the at least partially completed order containers from their respective consolidator.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the takeaway device comprises an autonomous mobile robot adapted to receive order items from the discharge mechanism and to transport and discharge the order items to a downstream process.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an order fulfilment system in accordance with the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a top-side perspective view of an order fulfilment system having a goods-to-person (GTP) workstation with discharge mechanisms, in accordance with the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a method for consolidating order items in an order fulfilment system, in accordance with the present invention; and

[0021] FIG. 4 is a top-side perspective view of an order fulfilment system having a typical goods-to-person (GTP) workstation, as known in the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, an order fulfillment system 10 and a method 100 are provided for consolidating order items or components for a particular customer order (FIGS. 1-3). The fulfilment system 10 includes an order management system 12 having a computer that is adapted to control the order fulfilment system 10 based on the requirements of customer orders. The fulfilment system 10 includes one or more order fulfilment workstations 14 for consolidating or segregating individual inventory items into individual orders and/or batch orders as directed by the order management system 12. The fulfilment system 10 includes a takeaway device or conveyor, such as in the form of a segmented conveyor 16, to transport orders and/or order containers to and from the order fulfilment workstations 14. The orders may be transported directly on the conveyor 16, such as in a collection of order items making up the completed order, or may be transported along the conveyor 16 within order containers. The order containers may include completed order containers 18, partially completed order containers, or empty order containers 20. Each of the order fulfilment workstations 14 includes multiple order consolidation elements or consolidators, such as in the form of platforms or temporary holding containers 22, adjacent to the conveyor 16. Each platform 22 is provided for receiving order items for a particular order as directed by the order management system 12. Each platform 22 represents a picking location to which a picker may place one or more order items for one or more orders (e.g. individual orders, batch orders, pseudo orders, etc.). The workstation 14 includes an order discharge mechanism 24, such as in the form of a tilt or drop dumper 24a, pusher arm 24b and/or a chute 24c, at each of the platforms 22 (FIG. 2). The order discharge mechanism 24 is operable to transfer or release the order items from the respective platforms 22 directly to the conveyor 16 surface or to an empty order container 20 positioned on the conveyor 16 adjacent to the order discharge mechanism 24. The platforms 22 are reusable to fill new orders without the need to replace an order container at the workstation 14 such that after the discharge mechanism 24 has released the order items and returned the platform 22 to its item holding position, the picker may place items on the platform 22 for another order to be filled.

[0023] The order management system 12 controls the conveyor 16 to index empty order containers 20 (or partially filled/completed containers) adjacent to platforms 22 to provide an empty order container 20 at about or nearly simultaneous to when the order picking operation at the particular one of the platforms 22 is completed and the completed order container 18 is discharged onto the conveyor 16 and moved downstream. The empty order containers 20 (or partially filled order containers) supported on said conveyor 16 may each define an order reception location at which order items may be put to/transferred to from the platform 22. The system 10 and method 100 reduce or substantially eliminate the need for an operator to either transfer completed order containers 18 from the workstation 14 or to replenish, replace, or supply empty order containers 20 to the workstation 14 (which may be required in commonly known goods-to-person order fulfilment workstations, such as the exemplary workstation 26 illustrated in FIG. 4, in which the operator 28 places order items directly into one of multiple order containers 30 and the operator 28 must manually transfer completed containers to the conveyor and/or manually replace the order container 30 when a completed container is removed from the workstation 26).

[0024] The platforms 22 may include a bin, a tote, a tray, a shelf, a conveyor belt, a conveying chain, a monorail, a cart, a pouch, or any other suitable consolidation container such as commonly known and commercially available. The order discharge mechanism 24 may include at least one of a tilt tray 24a (FIG. 2) forming a portion of the platform 22, a pivoting/tilting shelf that supports the platform 22, a chute or slide 24c (FIG. 2) adjacent to or forming a portion of the platform 22, a pusher arm 24b (FIG. 2) operable to push items off the platform 22 toward the conveyor 16, a dropout door at a bottom portion of the platform 22, a selectively operable conveyor, and/or any other suitable device for discharging, transferring, or releasing the order components from the platform 22 to the conveyor 16 or into an empty order container 20 adjacent the platform 22. While it may be one scenario that order items are discharged from the platform 22 to an empty order container 20, it will be appreciated that the items may be discharged to a partially filled order container that already contains some order items, such as from an upstream process (e.g. an upstream workstation).

[0025] Individual segments 16a of the segmented conveyor 16 may each be selectively operable and/or individually addressable by the order management system 12. The individual segments 16a may each define an order reception location at which order items may be supported directly on the conveying surface of the conveyor 16. Brakes or barriers may be provided with the conveyor 16, such as in the form of pop-up stoppers 25 positioned at downstream ends of each segment 16a to provide a temporary barrier impeding movement of order items or order containers 18, 20 along the conveyor 16 (FIG. 1). The barriers 25 are individually addressable and controllable by the order management system 12. While the takeaway device of the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1 is depicted as a segmented conveyor 16, it will be appreciated that any suitable conveyance or transportation device may be utilized to transport the order container to and from the workstation 14. For example, roller conveyors, continuous belt conveyors, pouch conveyors, monorail conveyors, power and free conveyors, shuttle/tray conveyors, or the like and/or or autonomous robotic vehicles (e.g. an autonomous mobile robot (AMR)) are contemplated to takeaway or deliver order containers to/away from the workstations 14.

[0026] The order management system 12 includes a “pushing” logic, or in other words a prioritization and tracking logic, performed by the computer and adapted to track each of the orders and/or order containers 18, 20 and to direct, move, or push the orders/containers to a desired location within the order fulfilment system 10, such as to a downstream order packaging process, for example. The computer tracks each segment 16a of the conveyor 16 in order to prioritize the resource utilization within the system 10. Preferably, the pushing logic of the management system 12 controls the order fulfilment 10 to only release/transfer completed orders from their respective platform 22 to an empty order container 20 on the conveyor 16 when all downstream workstations 14 and/or platforms 22 of the downstream workstations have sufficient empty order containers 20 immediately available to them (i.e. an empty container 20 at a segment 16a of the conveyor 16 adjacent one or more of the workstations platforms or immediately upstream of the particular workstation 14). As such, the pushing logic controls the conveyor 16 and workstations 14 to move completed order containers 18 downstream as efficiently as possible without impeding the arrival of empty order containers 20 that are required downstream of a particular workstation 14. In other words, a particular completed order 18 may be held or buffered at its respective platform 22 to permit empty order containers 20 to pass along the conveyor 16 to downstream platforms 22 within the same workstation 14 or to downstream workstations 14.

[0027] Referring to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 3, a method 100 is provided for consolidating order items into order containers and includes transporting 102 an empty order container to an order fulfilment workstation, such as the workstation 14 described above and illustrated in FIG. 1. The method 100 includes positioning or indexing 104 an empty order container 20 adjacent to an order consolidation element or picking location, e.g. a platform or temporary holding container 22, of the workstation 14 (FIG. 1). An order management system 12 assigns 106 an order to a platform 22 at the workstation 14 and an operator, either a human or a robot, picks 108 the order items to the assigned platform 22. The platform 22 is provided to receive and retain order items from the operator for the assigned order. When the platform 22 has been filled with the required items for the order, the method 100 includes transferring or discharging 110 the order items from the platform 22 to an empty order container 20 with a discharge mechanism 24. The completed order container is then transported 112 downstream of the order fulfilment workstation 14.

[0028] Transporting 102 of the empty order container is performed with a takeaway device, such as a segmented conveyor 16 or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), for example. Transporting 102 may include indexing empty order containers 20 along the segmented conveyor 16 to optimize the conveyor capacity while providing sufficient empty order containers 20 to the order fulfilment workstation 14 to reduce starvation at the platforms 22 that have completed processing their previous order. The method 100 may include prioritizing or balancing 114 resource utilization in regard to the quantity and location of completed order containers 18 present on the conveyor 16 with the need for empty order containers 20 at the platforms 22. For example, resource utilization may be prioritized in a manner that permits completed order containers 18 from upstream order fulfilment workstations 14 to be released downstream while optimizing the arrival of empty order containers 20 to a particular order fulfilment workstation 14. For example, if a downstream workstation 14 requires empty order containers 20 at one or more platform 22, the method 100 may prioritize 114 sending empty order containers 20 to that downstream workstation 14, in lieu of releasing/transferring completed order containers 18 from upstream workstations 14 onto the conveyor 16. In such a scenario, the completed order containers 18 at upstream workstations 14 are held or buffered at their respective platform 22 to permit the prioritized empty order containers 20 to pass those upstream workstations 14. The completed order containers 18 at the upstream workstations 14 may be released/transferred to the conveyor 16 once the prioritized empty order containers 20 have passed. In other words, because the conveyor 16 is utilized for moving inbound empty/partially empty order containers 20 as well as outbound completed/partially completed order containers 18, the method 100 is well-suited for prioritizing the utilization of the conveyor 16 to execute both inbound and outbound processes. For example, the transfer 110 of outbound, completed order containers 18 to the conveyor 16 may be balanced against the transport 102 of inbound, empty order containers to workstations 14 in a manner that prioritizes the supply of empty order containers 20 to empty platforms 22 over the release 110 and transport 112 of completed order containers 18 from their respective platforms 22.

[0029] Alternatively, the steps of method 100 providing an empty order container may be omitted, and the discharge mechanism 24 may discharge/transfer the collection of order components directly from the platform 22 onto the conveyor 16. In such an embodiment, the order management system 12 tracks the order components as they move along the trackable segments 16a of the conveyor 16. The collection of order components are transported directly on the conveyor 16 to a downstream process, such as another workstation 14 or an order packaging process, for example.

[0030] Thus, a system and method are provided for picking individual items and consolidating those items into individual orders within an order fulfilment workstation. The method includes discharging the order items for the individual order to a takeaway device, such as a trackable segmented conveyor. The system includes a platform or temporary holding container at the workstation and a discharge mechanism to release or transfer the order contents at the platform onto the segmented conveyor. The system and method substantially reduce or eliminate the need for an operator to (i) manually transfer completed order containers to the segmented conveyor or (ii) manually supply or replenish order transport containers to the workstation once a completed order container has been dispatched from the workstation. As such, labor and space requirements may be significantly reduced by alleviating the operator from having to transfer and/or replenish order containers, thereby increasing operator and workstation throughput and improving resource efficiency. The system and method may also track the orders and/or order containers to prioritize and optimize resource usage, such as by balancing and prioritizing completed order container discharge processes versus empty order container arrivals at the workstation.

[0031] Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.