US 12,006,168 B2
Palletizer-depalletizer system for distribution facilities
Robert Sullivan, Wilmington, MA (US); Gregory Thronson, Wilmington, MA (US); Christopher Kiley, Wilmington, MA (US); Todd E. Kepple, Litchfield, NH (US); and Jared Ploss, Wilmington, MA (US)
Assigned to Symbotic LLC, Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed by Symbotic LLC, Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed on Nov. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/055,593.
Application 18/055,593 is a continuation of application No. 17/319,779, filed on May 13, 2021, granted, now 11,498,784.
Application 17/319,779 is a continuation of application No. 16/844,227, filed on Apr. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,008,184, issued on May 18, 2021.
Application 16/844,227 is a continuation of application No. 15/892,127, filed on Feb. 8, 2018, granted, now 10,625,956, issued on Apr. 21, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/457,476, filed on Feb. 10, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0073500 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 57/24 (2006.01); B65G 57/03 (2006.01); B65G 59/02 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 57/24 (2013.01) [B65G 57/03 (2013.01); B65G 59/026 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated storage and retrieval system comprising:
a storage array of storage locations for case units, each storage location of which is arranged for storage of at least one case unit at each storage location;
an out case conveyor, in communication with the storage array, configured so as to transport the case units to the storage array effecting infeed of the case units into the storage array;
an in loaded pallet conveyor, connected to the storage array, and configured so as to transport loaded pallets in an input direction towards the storage array; and
a depalletizer cell connected to and disposed between the out case conveyor and the in loaded pallet conveyor, the depalletizer cell having a cell frame and a lift;
wherein the cell frame defines an elevated robotic pallet layer interface located over the in loaded pallet conveyor, the in loaded pallet conveyor being communicably coupled by the lift to the elevated robotic pallet layer interface so that removal of mixed case units decommissioning a mixed case pallet layer unloading a mixed case pallet indexed by the lift is effected with the elevated robotic pallet layer interface over the in loaded pallet conveyor.