Patent Publication Number: US-10781044-B2

Title: Order fulfillment system and method with sortation at induct

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/652,555, filed Jul. 18, 2017, which claims priority of U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 62/364,610, filed Jul. 20, 2016, which are both hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an order fulfillment method and a system for carrying out such method and, in particular, to such method and system that is useful for processing a large number of orders in a relatively short period of time. 
     Order fulfillment of orders placed over the Internet must take place within a relatively short period of time in order to be commercially competitive. The same could be said for orders received by phone, facsimile or by the mail based on catalog or television-based merchandizing. Such order fulfillment is known as E-commerce and places demands on an order fulfillment system to meet such obligations. This is compounded by the fact that E-commerce usually involves a large number of small orders (each containing as few as one item in the order) that are selected from a large number of potential items. Each unique item has a specific inventory identification, known in the industry as a stock-keeping unit (SKU). Each item usually bears an optical code, such as a bar code or radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that identifies the SKU of the item. 
     Because of the large number of SKU&#39;s from which an order may be selected, the inventory warehouse may be very large in footprint. As such, it is common to designate geographic portions of the inventory warehouse to each be picked by an individual picker such that each picker picks only a portion of each order, since each order may be spread out over the entire general footprint of the inventory warehouse. Each picker is directed by a warehouse management system to pick portions of a number of orders using a various picking technology known in the art. It is efficient to have the picker mix several orders in one picking or picked receptacle rather than having multiple receptacles, each bearing one order portion. Also, each order may be contained in a number of picked receptacles if the order contains more than an individual item. However, it is then necessary to subsequently sort the contents of the picked receptacle(s) to the order and to process the items so that they can be packed-out for shipment via courier. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is useful with a data base that is adapted to store a plurality of customer orders and identity of inventory items that make up each of the orders. Some of the orders are single item orders. Single item orders have only one inventory item assigned to that order. Some of the orders are multiple item orders. Multiple item orders have multiple inventory items assigned to that order. While it is possible to have multiple items having the same SKU in a multiple item order it is more likely that a multiple item order contains at least multiple inventory items of different SKU&#39;s. 
     An order fulfillment system and method, according to an aspect of the invention, includes a data base that is adapted to store data defining a plurality of customer orders. Each of the customer orders is a single item order having only one particular inventory item assigned to that order or a multiple item order having multiple particular inventory items assigned to that order. An inventory area stores inventory items that are available for fulfilling customer orders, and is responsive to said data base to retrieve particular inventory items from said inventory area that are assigned to customer orders in order to fulfill those orders. A sortation system combines particular inventory items together that make up an order. The sortation system has an automated induct subsystem and a sorter. The induct subsystem receives inventory items from the inventory area and forwards, in responsive to the data base, particular inventory items assigned to multiple-items orders to the sorter to be combined together to make up the multiple-item orders, but not particular inventory items assigned to single item orders. The sorter includes a pouch sorter having individual pouches and an overhead conveyor with tracts that route individual pouches to various destinations. The induct subsystem places a particular inventory item assigned to a multiple item order in an individual pouch and doesn&#39;t place a particular inventory items assigned to a single item order in a pouch. In this manner, handling of the particular inventory items for single items orders is separate from the pouch sorter thus reducing handling of inventory items and increasing system through-put. 
     The induct subsystem may receive empty pouches and automatically open a pouch to receive a particular inventory item assigned to a multiple item order and not open automatically open a pouch for a particular inventory item assigned to a single item order. A particular inventory item assigned to a single item order may be sent to a packing area. A particular inventory item assigned to a single item order may drop from the induct subsystem, such as onto a bulk-flow conveyor. A transportation system may be provided to transport particular inventory items retrieved from the inventory area for fulfilling customer orders from to the induct subsystem. Particular inventory items may be retrieved by manual picking or automated picking. 
     These and other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of an order fulfillment system according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of an induction subsystem; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view taken from the direction IV-IV in  FIGS. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the area designated A in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, an order fulfillment method  1  receives  2  bulk inventory items from an inventory  20  which may then be supplied to a sortation system  12  by a bulk flow conveyor  18  or by other means such as pick totes, pick carts or the like and identifies  3  inventory items by using a bar code scanner, RFID scanner, optical recognition or the like ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The scanned inventory item is matched with an order  4  such as by applying the SKU of the inventory items to a data base that is adapted to store a plurality of customer orders and identity of inventory items that make up each of the orders. Some of the orders may be a single item order having only one inventory item SKU assigned to that order and some of said orders may be multiple item orders having multiple inventory items assigned to that order. Method  1  is useful with a sortation system that is adapted to combine inventory items together that make up an order. 
     The sortation system has an induct subsystem, said induction subsystem having an input. The inventory items are supplied to the input of the induction subsystem of the sortation system. It is determined at  5  whether the inventory item is matched with a single item order. If the inventory item is matched with a single item order, the inventory item it is dispatched to packing at  6 , bypassing the sortation system. If it is determined at  5  that the identified inventory item is not matched with a single item order then it is matched with a multiple item order and that inventory item is dispatched to the input of the induction subsystem of the sortation system at  7 . The sortation system combines inventory items matched with each multiple item order together for customer packing. While the invention is illustrated for use with a pouch sortation system, the principles thereof may be used with other types of sortation system. 
     An order fulfillment system  10  shown in  FIG. 2 , is controlled by a warehouse management system  11  having a data base that is adapted to store a plurality of customer orders and identity of inventory items that make up each of the orders. Some of the orders are single item orders. Single item orders have only one inventory item assigned to that order. Some of the orders are multiple item orders. Multiple item orders have multiple inventory items assigned to that order. While it is possible to have multiple items having the same SKU in a multiple item order it is more likely that a multiple item order contains at least multiple inventory items of different SKU&#39;s. As such, it is possible that the items that make up a multiple item order may come from different areas in order fulfillment system  10 . 
     Order fulfillment system  10  includes an inventory area  20  in which inventory items are stored and made available for fulfilling orders and a sortation system  12  that is adapted to combine inventory items together that make up a multiple item order. Sortation system  12  has an induct subsystem  14 . Induction subsystem  14  has an input  16  in which a plurality of inventory items are supplied. These inventory item supplied to input  16  are assigned by the data base of orders to a particular order. However the items supplied to input  16  are typically assigned to a number of different orders and are supplied in bulk flow via a bulk flow conveyor  18 . Bulk from conveyor  18  is fed with inventory items picked from inventory storage area  20 . Inventory items are picked from inventory storage area  20  to fulfill customer orders in the data base and supplied to input  16  of induct subsystem  14  in bulk via a bulk flow conveyor  18 . Inventory items are identified by an identifier and applied to the data base included with warehouse management system  11  when picked from the inventory storage area such as using a scanner that scans a barcode or RFID tag on the inventory item, or other identification technique. The inventory items may be picked manually and placed in a pick cart which is discharged to bulk flow conveyor  18 . Alternatively, the inventory items may be picked using an automated picking technique such as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 9,550,624 B2 entitled Autonomous Mobile Picking, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and supplied to bulk flow conveyor  18 . 
     Induct subsystem  14  is responsive to the data base in warehouse management system  11  for inducting inventory items assigned to multiple-item orders to sortation system  12 . Induct subsystem  14  is response to the base for sending inventory items assigned to single item orders a single-item order packing station  24 . Induct subsystem  14  includes another bulk flow conveyor  22  that received inventory items assigned to a single-item order and transports the single order inventory items in bulk to packing station  24 . Inventory items that make up a multiple item order are fed by induct subsystem  14  individually to sortation system  14 . The separation of inventory items for single item orders and placed onto another bulk flow conveyor  22  may be done manually by an operator viewing a display screen or automatically using a robotic arm or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, separation of the inventory items for single item orders is carried out at induction subsystem  14  by the warehouse management system choosing to not open a pouch for receiving that item so that the item falls onto the another bulk flow conveyor  22 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, sortation system  12  is a pouch sorter of the type marketed by Dematic Corporation under the “Mona Lisa” brand. Such pouch sorter has individual pouches (not shown) connected with an overhead conveyor. The overhead conveyor includes tracks  32  that are adapted to route pouches via switches to various destinations as controlled by the warehouse management system. Each individual inventory item that goes toward making up a multiple item order is positioned in a pouch so that each pouch contains one item. The inventory items making up a multiple item order may be positioned into individual pouches using an automated induct  14  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Induct  14  receives empty pouches from an infeed conveyor  32  and receives inventory items from input  16  which, in the illustrated embodiment is an induct conveyor. 
     Inventory items are identified by being scanned or rescanned at input  16  using manual or automated scanning techniques. If warehouse management system determines that lead next inventory item being provided by input  16  is part of a multiple item order, the warehouse management system instructs a powered pouch opener  15  to rotate rollers  35  about an axis of rotation  36 , thus opening the pouch. With the pouch opened, the next inventory item is delivered to the pouch which is then elevated using an exit conveyor  33 . Since each pouch includes a unique identifier, such as a bar code, RFID chip or the like, warehouse management system  11  is able to track each inventory item through sortation system  12  by keeping track of the pouch in which that inventory item is deposited. If the warehouse management system determines that the lead inventory item provided by input  16  is matched with a single item order then warehouse management system  11  does not instruct powered pouch opener  15  to rotate. Thus the pouch will not be opened and the inventory item will fall from the downstream end of input  16  to subjacent bulk flow conveyor  22  where the inventory item will be dispatched to an available packing station  24  for packing. While illustrated as a pouch sorter, other embodiments of the invention may use other types of sorters such as cross belt sorters, Bombay sorters and the like, all of which are known in the art. 
     Sortation system  12  includes a buffer system  26  that is adapted to accumulate pouches with inventory items therein. Individual pouches are withdrawn from buffer system  26  and supplied an accumulator  28  that is adapted to receive inventory items in pouches from buffer system  26  when some or all inventory items that make up a multiple item order are in the buffer system. A number of multiple item orders may be combined at each spur  27  of accumulator  28 . From accumulator  28 , each pouch bearing an item of a multiple item order is transported to packing system  24  where the pouches for an order are emptied, such as by a packer who packs the items for shipment to the customer. By separating inventory items that make up single item orders from inventory items that make up multiple item orders prior to being supplied to the sortation system, handling of the inventory items for single items order is separate from the sortation system thus reducing handling and increasing system through put. 
     While the foregoing description describes several embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications to these embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims below. The present invention encompasses all combinations of various embodiments or aspects of the invention described herein. It is understood that any and all embodiments of the present invention may be taken in conjunction with any other embodiment to describe additional embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, any elements of an embodiment may be combined with any and all other elements of any of the embodiments to describe additional embodiments.