SYSTEM FOR PREPARING ORDERS FOR PRODUCTS STORED IN A MULTI-LEVEL WAREHOUSE AND PICKED BY A PLURALITY OF AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for preparing orders for products stored in a logistics warehouse comprising: a storage warehouse (2) for storing products comprising several floors (21), each floor (21) having at least one shelf (23) having several levels subdivided into storage locations; a plurality of autonomous mobile robots, called collection robots (4), capable of moving in at least one circulation zone of each floor (21) of the storage warehouse (2), said collection robots (4) ensuring the removal of products from the storage locations of a given level of a shelf (23); at least one elevator (5) capable of moving at least one of said collection robots (4) from one floor (21) of the storage warehouse (2) to another;at least one order preparation area remote from the storage warehouse (2) to which said collection robots (4) bring picked products, said order preparation area comprising at least one order preparation station (32) from the products brought by said collection robots (4). Fig. 1;

Description

Title of the invention: SYSTEM FOR PREPARING ORDERS FOR PRODUCTS STORED IN A MULTI-LEVEL WAREHOUSE AND PICKED BY A PLURALITY OF AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS Field of invention

[0001] The field of the invention is that of logistics, and in particular that of order preparation systems within a logistics warehouse for products to be shipped.

[0002] The present invention relates in particular to assistance in the preparation of orders by means of autonomous robots (called “Autonomous Mobile robots -AMR” in English). Prior art

[0003] Automated order preparation systems are particularly used in companies selling small volume products remotely (tools, spare parts, electronic products, etc.).

[0004] These systems make it possible to prepare with a minimum of labor, in a short time and with precise monitoring of stocks, a package corresponding to a specific order from a customer, said order relating to one or more products in different quantities.

[0005] These systems generally consist of: - a storage warehouse comprising shelves separated by circulation aisles with a plurality of superimposed storage levels containing the products (articles) which can be removed or deposited; - at least one order preparation station, where the products are picked and placed

[0006] by an operator (or a robot) in a shipping package or on a support (a pallet for example); - means of transporting products stored in the storage warehouse to the order preparation station, and vice versa; and - a central control (or management) system.

[0007] The field of logistics has continued to evolve for many years. Thus, motorized mobile robots known as autonomous robots are now commonly used as carriers in these order preparation systems. These robots can cooperate with operators in the same workspace in order to optimally prepare the various orders that are received by the warehouse order management system. These robots make it possible to reduce the arduous work of operators by carrying the loads for them. Since robots are capable of carrying heavier and / or more cumbersome loads than humans, they reduce the distances that operators have to travel. Robots allow operators to perform value-added tasks by freeing up their hands, for example, handling a tablet to interact with an order management and inventory management system.

[0008] Several sampling techniques are thus known (called “Picking” in English) involving the cooperation of sampling operators and robots.

[0009] According to a first, relatively simple approach, an operator is responsible for picking the different products of an order from the different locations in the warehouse and placing them on the autonomous robot that accompanies him. A major drawback of this first approach is that the travel times of the robot and the operator are relatively long, which results in a very low efficiency of the operator and the robot respectively. Indeed, the efficiency can be determined according to the hourly picking rate, i.e. the number of picks per hour.

[0010] According to a second approach, the warehouse is divided into several regions and a picking operator is assigned to each of these regions. Thus, for each order, the autonomous robot travels through the different regions of the warehouse to collect the products manually picked by the operators. Although this approach makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the picking operators by reducing the distance they have to travel between two picks, the paths of the picking robots are relatively long and do not allow a satisfactory solution to be obtained.

[0011] Furthermore, a recurring problem in logistics is that the warehouse where the product storage store is located may become too small, particularly due to the increase in sales and / or the listing of new products. To overcome this problem, it is common to increase the surface area of warehouses to extend the storage store for the products to be picked. However, excessively large storage areas have the consequence of increasing the distances to be covered between two picks.

[0012] In addition, the high demand for storage space in recent years has caused land prices to rise. In order to overcome this disadvantage, the current trend is to increase the height of warehouses and therefore of storage shelves.

[0013] To pick products from these high shelves, robots have been developed that can move along the shelves to pick a product from a height and from the floor and then transport it to a specific order preparation station. The large number of robots required to implement this solution (each robot picking and transporting a single product) creates problems with the movement of robots on the ground since they intersect to each go to a specific order preparation station.

[0014] Alternatively, robots have been developed that move only on the ground and are equipped with a mast for picking up a product from a shelf, the mast having a height of between 8 and 12 m. Such a mast height does not allow the robot to move quickly.

[0015] None of the known solutions of the prior art therefore makes it possible to respond in a fully satisfactory manner to the increasingly high rates which are required today, while taking into account the surface area constraints of the warehouses.

[0016] There is therefore a need to provide a new approach that can adapt to these different constraints while optimizing the overall efficiency of the system, i.e. the efficiency of the operators and robots. Summary of the invention

[0017] The present technique meets this need by proposing a system for preparing orders for products stored in a logistics warehouse comprising: - a product storage warehouse comprising several floors, each floor having at least one shelf with several levels subdivided into storage locations; - a plurality of autonomous mobile robots, called collection robots, capable of moving in at least one circulation zone of each floor of the storage warehouse, said collection robots ensuring the collection of products inside the storage locations of a given level of a shelf; - at least one elevator capable of moving at least one of said collection robots from one floor of the storage warehouse to another; - at least one order preparation area remote from the storage warehouse to which said collection robots bring picked products, said order preparation area comprising at least one order preparation station from the products brought by said collection robots.

[0018] Thus, the present technique proposes a new and inventive solution for order preparation implemented by picking operators and by a fleet of autonomous mobile robots in a warehouse storing products to be shipped, making it possible to significantly increase the productivity of order preparation without requiring too much floor space.

[0019] To do this, on the one hand, the storage warehouse has several superimposed storage floors which can reach 40 to 45m in height for example, which makes it possible to multiply the available storage area, and on the other hand the picking of products on each of the store floors is ensured by picking robots equipped with mobile picking means at height to pick products on the different levels of the shelves. These picking robots can move from one floor to another of the storage warehouse by means of elevators to pick several products and store them until they are brought to an order preparation area.

[0020] Rather than increasing the height of the product storage shelves, which would require the collection robots to be able to pick products from very great heights, it is proposed to stack floors vertically (4, 8 or 12 floors for example) in the warehouse, each floor having at least one circulation zone for at least one collection robot and at least one shelf having several levels subdivided into storage locations.

[0021] Because the storage warehouse has several floors, the picking mast of the mobile collection robots remains at a reasonable height, which ensures good stability and speed of movement of the robots on the ground. The robots can move to each floor of the warehouse in complete autonomy, which does not require the expensive and inflexible installation of rails or guide strips on the floor or shelves of each floor.

[0022] Such a multi-level warehouse allows for the multiplication of storage space on a single warehouse, which ensures space savings (and solves the problem of land costs), and allows for the centralization of logistics activity on a single site rather than on several distant sites. Consequently, this warehouse configuration can be close to cities and the end consumer.

[0023] This solution also makes it possible to improve order preparation efficiency, in particular by reducing the movements of operators and autonomous mobile robots, as well as by optimizing each of the stages of the logistics chain.

[0024] According to a particular aspect of the invention, each collection robot comprises means for moving on the ground, means for picking up products from inside the storage locations and means for storing the picked up products on several superimposed storage supports of said collection robot.

[0025] According to a particular aspect of the invention, each collection robot comprises a vertical mast on one side of which the superimposed storage supports are mounted, the picking and storage means being mounted on the other side of the mast.

[0026] According to a particular aspect of the invention, the storage means of a collection robot are capable of storing a product collected on one of said storage supports of said robot while the robot is moving on the ground.

[0027] According to a particular aspect of the invention, the height of the mast is less than or equal to 4m.

[0028] According to a particular aspect of the invention, each order preparation station is associated with an exchanger capable of cooperating with a collection robot and comprising first means for transferring the products stored on the storage supports of said collection robot to a first buffer module of the exchanger then to the order preparation station.

[0029] According to a particular aspect of the invention, the first buffer module comprises means for ordering the transferred products before their transfer to the order preparation station.

[0030] According to a particular aspect of the invention, said exchanger comprises second means for transferring products from the order preparation station to a second buffer module then to the storage supports of said collection robot.

[0031] According to a particular aspect of the invention, the height of the storage warehouse is between 40 and 80m.

[0032] The invention relates to a collection robot intended to be implemented in a system as described above. List of Figures

[0033] The proposed technique, as well as the various advantages that it presents, will be more easily understood, in the light of the following description of an illustrative and non-limiting embodiment thereof, and of the appended drawings among which:

[0034] [Fig-1] illustrates a warehouse for storing products to be shipped from a pre-processing system order preparation according to the invention, comprising a multi-story product storage warehouse, an order preparation area and a plurality of mobile robots for collecting products stored in the storage warehouse;

[0035] [Fig.2] is a detail view of the storage store of the warehouse of [Fig.l] showing in particular a lift for moving a collection robot from one floor to another of the storage warehouse;

[0036] [Fig.3] shows an island of an order preparation area of a pre-processing system Order preparation according to the invention, in which a collection robot cooperates with an exchanger of an order preparation station. Detailed description of the invention

[0037] The present technique proposes a new and inventive solution for order preparation implemented by operators and by a fleet of autonomous mobile robots in a warehouse for storing products to be shipped, making it possible to significantly increase the productivity of order preparation without requiring too much floor space.

[0038] The storage warehouse 1 comprises a storage store, or storage area, 2 which comprises in the configuration illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 four floors of storage 21, each storage level 21 comprising a floor on which several circulation aisles 22 are defined serving on either side a storage shelf 23 (or shelving) with several levels of superimposed storage, each storage shelf 23 being subdivided along its length into storage locations (not visible in the figures) each intended to accommodate a container 25 of products (a container may be a bin with several products or articles inside or a package comprising a single product or article).

[0039] The storage warehouse 2 here extends over several tens of square meters and has a height of 45m.

[0040] The number of floors and the height of the storage store may be greater than in the example described here.

[0041] Each circulation aisle 22 of a floor is dimensioned to allow the movement of motorized mobile units in the form of collection robots 4 which ensure the movement of the product containers 25, for their placement inside the storage locations and for their removal from these storage locations. The mobile robots 4 can not only move horizontally on a given storage floor 21, but also be brought from one storage floor 21 to another, when they are transporting products or not, by elevators 5 (also called elevators / descenders). As illustrated in the implementation example of [Fig.l], an elevator 5 is installed on each side of the storage store 2.

[0042] The number of elevators is however not limited to the example described here.

[0043] In this multi-level storage warehouse 1, in addition to the ground floor, several mezzanines are therefore provided, installed at height and resting on the slab of the warehouse, each mezzanine forming a floor of the storage store 2.

[0044] The system also comprises, on the ground floor of the storage warehouse 1, an order reconstitution or preparation area 3 which makes it possible to reconstitute the orders from the products collected / picked by one or more collection robots. Once all the products have been collected by a collection robot 4, the latter moves towards the order reconstitution area 3 in order to deposit the products picked in the storage warehouse 2.

[0045] This order reconstitution zone 3 here comprises several islands each comprising an exchanger and an order preparation station by an operator.

[0046] Stairs allow operators to move from the order reconstitution or preparation area 3 to each of the storage floors 21. An operator can thus come and collect a bin or parcel from a shelf of one of the storage floors 21. Each of the autonomous mobile robots, called collection robots, 4 of the A system for preparing orders for products stored in the warehouse is provided with a frame 41 extending horizontally and on which is mounted a vertical central mast 42 provided on one side with several superimposed storage supports 43 (nine storage supports in this example) to receive the product containers 25, and to allow the preparation of different orders (which increases the order preparation efficiency). The central mast 42 is provided on the other side with a mobile picking platform or trolley 44 capable of moving vertically along the central mast 42 and which ensures the movement of the product containers 25, for their placement inside the storage locations and for their removal from these storage locations.

[0047] The collection robot 4 further comprises means for transferring a container 25 collected by the collection platform 44 to one of the storage supports 43 of said robot (and conversely, a container 25 placed on a storage support 43 of the robot to the collection platform 44 so that the latter (re)places said container 25 inside a storage location).

[0048] The central mast 42 with a maximum height of 4m makes it possible to carry several containers (nine in this example) onto the storage supports instead of just one as in the prior art. The speed of movement of each collection robot 4 equipped with such a central mast 42 is also greater than that of the robots of the prior art equipped with masts of greater height (8 to 12m).

[0049] Advantageously, the transfer means of a collection robot 4 are capable of storing a container collected by the collection platform 44 on one of the storage supports of the collection robot 4 (or vice versa) during the movement of the collection robot 4 on the ground, which allows a saving of time.

[0050] The collection robot 4 further comprises an electric drive system by battery(ies) driving in rotation wheels (four in number for example) located under the chassis 41 which make it possible to stabilize and move the robot. The mobile loading platform 44 can be moved vertically and has for this axis of movement an electric drive which can be supplied with electrical energy coming from said at least one storage battery. The height position of the mobile loading platform 44 can thus be modified between a low position, a high position, and one or more intermediate positions.

[0051] Furthermore, the collection robot is equipped in the example described with a reading module (scan) capable of reading a bar code affixed to each of the containers 25 of products in the storage warehouse 2 and constituting an identifier of an article or product of a given order to be prepared.

[0052] The collection robots 4 intervene in the order preparation process by operating completely autonomously between various areas of the warehouse. 1 multi-level storage and supporting the preparation of an order (or several) by following an optimized route.

[0053] To do this, one or more autonomous robots (five for example) can be assigned to each storage level 21 of the storage warehouse 2.

[0054] Once a set of containers (packages and / or product bases) has been collected by a collection robot 4, the latter heads towards the order reconstitution zone 3 in order to deposit the containers taken from the storage warehouse 2.

[0055] [Fig.3] shows an island 31 of the order reconstitution or preparation zone 3 which makes it possible to reconstitute orders from the containers 25 collected / picked by one or more collection robots.

[0056] This island 31 comprises an order preparation station 32 which is associated with an exchanger 33 capable of cooperating with a collection robot 4. The collection robot 4 having taken a set of product containers 25 is housed in a central compartment of the exchanger 33, the latter comprising first means for transferring the containers 25 stored on the storage supports 43 of the collection robot 4 to a first buffer module 331 of the exchanger 33, means for ordering these containers and for depositing these containers on an upper conveyor 34 at the level of the order preparation station 32. If the container is a package of an order to be prepared, an operator moves the latter from the upper conveyor 34 to a lower conveyor 35.If it is a product bin, it picks up one or more products from an order to be prepared in the bin and places them on a lower conveyor 35, the bin remaining on the upper conveyor 34 to be directed towards a second buffer module 332 of the exchanger 33. The exchanger 33 comprises second means for transferring product bins coming from the upper conveyor 34 to the second buffer module 332, then to the empty storage supports of the collection robot 4 located in the exchanger 33.

[0057] Thus, a collection robot 4 brings several bins of products and / or packages (called containers) to an exchanger 33 which will automatically pick up the bins and / or packages and then organize them optimally for operator picking and finally dispatch of the order.

[0058] In the example described, several robots (five for example) work simultaneously to supply an exchanger, and therefore an operator.

[0059] The buffer modules 331, 332 of an exchanger 33 are in the form of columns between which a collection robot loaded with several bins and / or packages can be placed. The exchanger, by means of a gripping device (called a comb), moves the robot's containers (nine in the illustrated example) laterally into the first buffer module 331 in which an ordering of the containers is implemented. The containers are then distributed onto the upper conveyor 34 so that that an operator takes a product from each container which he then places in a customer package located below on a lower conveyor 35. The bins are then directed by the upper conveyor 34 towards the second buffer module 332 where they are received then transferred to the collection robot, to be transported and placed by the latter on the shelves of the storage warehouse.

[0060] The proposed technique further provides for generating and transmitting movement orders (or tasks) to each of the collection robots so that the latter collect each of the products of at least one part of at least one order.

[0061] After the products have been collected by the various robots, the orders are then reconstituted in order to be dispatched in due time.

[0062] A central management system generates and transmits movement orders (or tasks) to each of the autonomous mobile collection robots so that the latter collect on one or more storage levels 21 each of the products of at least one part of at least one order.

[0063] After the products have been collected by the various collection robots, the orders are then reconstituted in order to be dispatched in due time.

[0064] By deploying the storage warehouse 2 vertically, and not horizontally, and by circulating autonomous mobile collection robots therein, the movements of the autonomous mobile collection robots within the warehouse for storing products to be shipped are optimized in order to maximize their use / efficiency. By improving the efficiency of the operators and the robots, a greater number of orders can be carried out per unit of time (per hour for example).

[0065] The proposed technique makes it possible to optimize both the number of operators in the warehouse, the distance between two pickings, the daily weight per operator, the overall travel time of a fleet of robots and even the electrical energy used by the fleet of robots.

[0066] Mobile autonomous robots are suitable for preparing orders for products stored in the warehouse, that is to say they have specific characteristics such as, in particular: • communication capabilities with other robots in the same fleet and with a supervision system responsible for managing a fleet of robots, with the aim of optimizing order preparation in the warehouse; • ease of movement in the warehouse aisles, where other robots circulate; • energy autonomy to be able to prepare the greatest number of orders without having to be recharged; • compactness and in particular low thickness, for example to be able to slide under items to be transported.

[0067] Each robot comprises at least one camera and / or radar and / or lidar type sensors.

[0068] allowing autonomous movement of the robot, i.e. without an external guidance device.

[0069] The central warehouse management system (WMS), internal and specific to the warehouse in which the proposed technical solution is implemented, provides a certain amount of data to the management system of the fleet of autonomous mobile robots for order preparation. This warehouse management system (WMS) is known and widely used. It will therefore not be described further in this document.

[0070] The autonomous mobile robot fleet management system comprises different modules, namely: - a picking manager capable of receiving data from a warehouse management system and generating and transmitting warehouse management data; - an order manager capable of receiving at least the warehouse management data from the picking manager and of delivering order scheduling data; - a fleet manager capable of receiving order scheduling data from the order manager and communicating movement orders to the plurality of collection robots.

[0071] In addition, each robot in the robot fleet includes a task manager.

[0072] The management system corresponds to one or more physical servers on site (in the warehouse or a dedicated space close to the warehouse), remote (at a server host for example) or dematerialized (on the “cloud”).

[0073] This robot fleet management system is also known and widely used. It will therefore not be described further in this document.

[0074] The robots are equipped with means of bidirectional communication between them in order to coordinate their respective movements and to know the progress of the preparation of orders respectively on one or more other robots. Indeed, the efficiency linked to the presence of several robots for a picking operator must not be limited by problems of movement of the robots (collisions in particular). The robot comprises one or more batteries for supplying the electric motors as well as electronic systems for controlling these motors.

[0075] Finally, in order to overcome any inaccuracies in the information communicated between the robots, in particular concerning their locations or their respective speeds, shape recognition means are implemented in the robots. In this way, the respective positioning of the robots is more precise and makes it possible to avoid collisions.

[0076] The method of preparing orders for products stored in the storage warehouse comprises the following steps: - removal, by a collection robot, of a container 25 of products from a storage shelf 23 and transfer of the container to a storage support of the robot; - movement of the collection robot to an order replenishment and / or shipping area; - transfer of containers from the robot's storage media to a picking station - removal, by an operator, of at least one product from at least one order in said container 25 to reconstitute and ship an order; - transfer of containers if they are not empty from the picking station to the robot's storage supports; - moving the robot to the storage shelves to replace the non-empty containers.

Claims

Claims

1. System for preparing orders for products stored in a logistics warehouse (1) comprising: - a storage warehouse (2) for the products comprising several floors (21), each floor (21) having at least one shelf (23) having several levels subdivided into storage locations; - a plurality of autonomous mobile robots, called collection robots (4), capable of moving in at least one circulation zone of each floor (21) of the storage warehouse (2), said collection robots (4) ensuring the collection of products inside the storage locations of a given level of a shelf (23), each collection robot (4) comprising means for moving on the ground, means for collecting (44) products inside the storage locations and means for storing the products collected on several storage supports (43) superimposed on said collection robot (4), each collection robot (4) further comprising a vertical mast (42) on one side of which the superimposed storage supports (43) are mounted, the collection means (44) and the storage means being mounted on the other side of said mast (42),and said storage means being capable of storing a product taken from one of said storage supports (43) during the movement of said collection robot (4) on the ground;, - at least one elevator (5) capable of moving at least one of said collection robots (4) from one floor (21) of the storage warehouse (2) to another; - at least one order preparation area remote from the storage warehouse (2) to which said collection robots (4) bring picked products, said order preparation area comprising at least one order preparation station (32) from the products brought by said collection robots (4).

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the height of the mast (42) is less than or equal to 4m.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each order preparation station is associated with an exchanger (33) capable of cooperating with a collection robot (4) and comprising first means for transferring the products stored on the storage supports (43) of said collection robot (4) to a first buffer module (331) of the exchanger (33) then to the order preparation station.

4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the first buffer module (331) comprises means for ordering the transferred products before their transfer to the order preparation station (32).

5. System according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said exchanger (33) comprises second means for transferring products coming from the order preparation station (32) to a second buffer module (332) then to the storage supports of said collection robot (4).

6. System according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the height of the storage store (2) is between 40 and 80m.

7. Collection robot (4) as defined in claim 1 or 2, intended to be implemented in a system according to one of claims 1 to 6.

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