Patent SG-11201809314U-A (SG)
Title: Material handling apparatus and method for sorting items using a dynamically configurable sorting array
Inventor: MCVAUGH MONTY
IPC: B07C5/38
Filed: 2017-05-03
Abstract: INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) -., (19) World Intellectual Property MD HIM 01E101011M HO 11111 0 I 01111101010111 MII MOH OEN Organization International Bureau (10) International Publication Number (43) International Publication Date ......'\"' WO 2017/192783 Al 09 November 2017 (09.11.2017) WIP0 I PCT (51) International Patent Classification: DIETRICH, Douglas; 305 Commerce Drive, Moorestown, B07C 3/00 (2006.01) B07C 3/02 (2006.01) NJ 08057-4234 (US). STEVENS, Alexander; 305 B07C 5/38 (2006.01) B07C 3/08 (2006.01) Commerce Drive, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). (21) International Application Number: O'MARA, Kerry; 305 Commerce Drive, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). CHERRY, Kevin; 305 Commerce Dri- PCT/US2017/030930 ve, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). HODGE, Robert; (22) International Filing Date: 305 Commerce Drive, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). 03 May 2017 (03.05.2017) YORK, Michael; 305 Commerce Drive, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). DEWITT, Robert; 305 Commerce Dri- (25) Filing Language: English ye, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). (26) Publication Language: English (74) Agent: ELAND, Stephen, H.; Dann, Dorfman, Herrell & (30) Priority Data: Skillman, 1601 Market Street- Suite 2400, Philadelphia, PA 62/331,020 03 May 2016 (03.05.2016) US 19103 (US). (71) Applicant: OPEX CORPORATION [US/US]; 305 Com- (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every merce Drive, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, (72) Inventors: MCVAUGH, Monty; 305 Commerce Drive, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). RESSLER, David; DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, 305 Commerce Drive, Moorestown, NJ 08057-4234 (US). HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, KP, KR, = (54) Title: MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SORTING ITEMS USING A DYNAMICALLY CON- FIGURABLE SORTING ARRAY = WMS I SUPPORT CIRCUITS I -- 208 200 206 202 I/O CPU NETWORK INTERFACE(S) H 210 204 \ MEMORY 220 230 OPERATING SYSTEM I = — N's4.4 242 24 DSRAS CONTROL MODULE \ ANNUNCIATION e\ 212 SPECIFIER I ITEM AGGREGATION QUEUE BUILDER r_.. — SORT DESTINATION ASSIGNER = DSRAS EVENT MONITOR I — I INDUCT EVENT MONITOR ) -„... 4 3 4 MACRO EVENT MONITOR I = I ITEM INDICIUM DATABASE r\",.. 236 I EVENT ANNUNCIATION RULES I ITEM CHARACTERISTIC DATABASE 1238 I DESTINATION AVAILABILITY MONITOR r--... 239 = = OTHER WMS MODULES 250 260 : = = DYNAMICALLY RECONFIGURABLE SORTING ARRAY SYSTEM(S) (DRSAS) 100-1 — = CONTROLLER 110 = — 130 'Ft ,,/ 160 _ _ _(150 = ITEM INDUCT MODULE ( -°---- 140-1 ......--• 140 2 — DELIVERY VEHICLES DESTINATION I ARRAY I I I GATE I ALERT/ ANNUNCIATOR SYSTEM I ACTUATORS I — 1401 11 100 D J FIG 2 M GC IN rsi (57) : A method and apparatus are provided for sorting items to a plurality of sort destinations. ON apparatus at an input station having a scanning station. The scanning station evaluates one or more 1-1 --..... items are then loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled delivery vehicles (140-14). The delivery vehicles (140-1- N J) are individually driven to sort destinations. Once at the appropriate sort destination, the delivery 1-1 C destination and returns to receive another item to be delivered. Additionally, a controller (110) is provided ei the vehicles based on a characteristic each item being delivered by each vehicle (140-1-J). The items are fed into the characteristics of each item. The vehicle ejects the item to the sort to control the movement of C [Continued on next page] WO 2017/192783 Al MIDEDIMOMOIDEIROIDEMOMOHEIDIMMOINVOIMIE KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). Published: — with international search report (Art. 21(3)) — before the expiration of the time limit for amending the claims and to be republished in the event of receipt of amendments (Rule 48.2(h))