US 12,358,724 B2
Robotic consolidation station and storage system
Øystein Gjerdevik, Skjold (NO); and Joakim Aleksander Myrbakken, Skudeneshavn (NO)
Assigned to AutoStore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
Appl. No. 17/907,631
Filed by Autostore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
PCT Filed Jan. 28, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/051965
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 28, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/197681, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20200389 (NO), filed on Mar. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0131214 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 1/06 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/06 (2013.01) [B65G 1/0464 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0235 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic consolidation station for use in a storage system, the storage system comprising a framework structure configured to store storage containers, the robotic consolidation station comprising:
a first conveyor pathway configured to transfer storage containers accommodating items to be picked, a second conveyor pathway configured to transfer storage containers in which items are to be consolidated or have been consolidated, and a robotic picking arm arranged to reach the first conveyor pathway and the second conveyor pathway, wherein:
each of the first conveyor pathway and the second conveyor pathway comprises a first end and a second end, wherein each first end is configured to be operatively connected to a container outlet of the framework structure for transferring storage containers from the framework structure, each second end is configured to connect to a container inlet of the framework structure for transferring storage containers into the framework structure, and the first conveyor pathway and the second conveyor pathway have their respective first ends in common and/or the first conveyor pathway and second conveyor pathway have their respective second ends in common;
the first conveyor pathway comprises a picking section, and the second conveyor pathway comprises a consolidation section;
the robotic picking arm is configured to pick items from a first storage container arranged upon the picking section and transfer the items to a second storage container arranged upon the consolidation section; and
the first conveyor pathway is independently operable of the consolidation section and configured to transfer a first storage container from a container outlet to a container inlet via the picking section while a second storage container is arranged upon the consolidation section.