US 11,787,642 B2
Vertical sequencer for product order fulfillment
Richard B. Cohen, Keene, NH (US); Brian Svoboda, Westford, MA (US); Kirill K. Pankratov, Chelmsford, MA (US); Jason Chrisos, Somerville, MA (US); Rick Youping-Huang, Westford, MA (US); Juergen D. Conrad, North Andover, MA (US); and Elizabeth Clark-Polner, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to SYMBOTIC LLC, Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed by Symbotic LLC, Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed on Sep. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/931,823.
Application 17/931,823 is a continuation of application No. 17/202,917, filed on Mar. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,440,746.
Application 17/202,917 is a continuation of application No. 16/444,592, filed on Jun. 18, 2019, granted, now 10,947,060, issued on Mar. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/689,938, filed on Jun. 26, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0002171 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 47/64 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01); B65G 21/20 (2006.01); B65G 47/84 (2006.01); B65G 47/90 (2006.01); B65G 47/71 (2006.01); B65G 17/06 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/643 (2013.01) [B65G 1/1373 (2013.01); B65G 21/2072 (2013.01); B65G 47/71 (2013.01); B65G 47/844 (2013.01); B65G 47/90 (2013.01); B65G 17/06 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A product order fulfillment system comprising:
an elevated transport system, with at least one elevated level thereof having a corresponding asynchronous level transport system, of mixed cases, separate and distinct from another asynchronous level transport system of the elevated transport system, the asynchronous level transport system defining an array of asynchronous level transport axes and being configured to hold and asynchronously transport at least one case providing transport of mixed cases along the array of asynchronous level transport axes of the corresponding level; and
a lifting transport system that is separate and distinct from each asynchronous level transport system, the lifting transport system has more than one independent lift axis, each of the more than one independent lift axis being configured to independently hold the at least one case and reciprocate along a lift travel axis independently raising and lowering the at least one case providing lifting transport of mixed cases to and from the at least one elevated level of the elevated transport system, each independent lift axis being communicably coupled to the corresponding asynchronous level transport system so as to provide for exchange of the at least one case between the corresponding asynchronous level transport system and each independent lift axis, and mixed cases transferred from the corresponding asynchronous level transport system to each of the more than one independent lift axis so that mixed cases are output by the independent lift axis from the elevated transport system;
wherein each independent lift axis, of the more than one lift axis, is grouped with each other independent lift axis of the more than one lift axis and forms a common output of mixed cases output by the group of independent lift axis, and the group of independent lift axis are configured so as to create, at and from the common output, an ordered sequence of mixed cases in accordance to a predetermined case out ordered sequence of mixed cases.