Automated decant system
An automated decant system is disclosed for processing pallets of cased goods received at a facility, extracting packaging for the cases and transferring eaches within the cases to totes, possibly organized by SKU in sub-totes within the tote.
1. An automated decant system for transferring eaches received at a facility into totes, the automated decant system comprising:
a mobile robot configured to support a tote as the mobile robot moves about the facility;
the tote having a base and sidewalls;
a movable support surface configured to rest within the tote at the base and to support the eaches;
a lift comprising support feet, wherein the lift is configured to:
move the support feet upwardly from a first position below the base of the tote to engage the moveable support surface and move the moveable support surface to a second position above the base of the tote, wherein, when at the second position, eaches are positionable on the movable support surface; and
move, once the eaches are positioned on the movable support surface, the support feet downwardly to the first position below the base to lower the moveable support surface and the eaches into the base of the tote.
2. The automated decant system of claim 1 , wherein the base of the tote includes a plurality of openings that permit one or more portions of the support feet of the lift to pass therethrough.
3. The automated decant system of claim 1 , wherein:
when the support feet are in the second position, the one or more portions of the support feet of the lift pass through the openings of the base of the tote; and
when the support feet are in the first position, no portion of the support feet of the lift passes through the openings of the base of the tote.
4. The automated decant system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more guides that indicate a loading position of the tote, wherein the one or more guides are positioned above the tote when the tote is in the loading position.
5. The automated decant system of claim 4 , wherein the mobile robot is configured to move the tote into the loading position, and wherein the one or more guides assist the mobile robot to bring the tote into the loading position.
6. The automated decant system of claim 4 , wherein, when the support feet are in the second position, the movable support surface and portions of the support feet that support the movable support surface thereon are located outside of an interior of the tote.
7. The automated decant system of claim 6 , wherein, when the support feet are in the second position, the movable support surface is positioned to underlie a space located between the one or more guides.
8. The automated decant system of claim 7 , wherein:
the eaches are transported to the loading position of the tote by one or more conveyors; and
the eaches are moved from the one or more conveyors into the space located between the one or more guides and onto the movable support surface positioned under the space located between the one or more guides.
9. The automated decant system of claim 8 , further comprising a support plate configured to be placed onto the eaches after the eaches are moved from the one or more conveyors onto the movable support surface, wherein the support plate rests on top of and is supported by the eaches located on the movable support surface and permits additional ones of the eaches to be loaded onto the support plate.
10. The automated decant system of claim 9 , wherein, after the additional ones of the eaches are loaded onto the support plate, the support plate is configured to be extracted from between the eaches located on the movable support surface and the additional ones of the eaches located on the support plate, and wherein, after the support plate is extracted, the additional ones of the eaches shift down onto and are supported by the eaches located on the movable support plate.
11. A method of transferring eaches received at a facility into totes via an automated decant system, the method comprising:
supporting a tote having a base and sidewalls by a mobile robot while the mobile robot moves about the facility;
providing a movable support surface within the tote at the base, the movable support surface being configured to support the eaches; and
by a lift comprising support feet:
moving the support feet upwardly from a first position below the base of the tote to engage the moveable support surface and move the moveable support surface to a second position above the base of the tote;
placing the eaches onto the movable support surface; and
moving, after the eaches are placed on the movable support surface, the support feet downwardly to the first position below the base to lower the moveable support surface and the eaches into the tote.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing the base of the tote with a plurality of openings that permit one or more portions of the support feet of the lift to pass therethrough.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
when the support feet are in the second position, the one or more portions of the support feet of the lift pass through the openings of the base of the tote; and
when the support feet are in the first position, no portion of the support feet of the lift passes through the openings of the base of the tote.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing one or more guides indicating a loading position of the tote, wherein the one or more guides are positioned above the tote when the tote is in the loading position.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising moving the tote into the loading position via the mobile robot, and guiding the mobile robot into the loading position via the one or more guides.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein, when the support feet are in the second position, the movable support surface and portions of the support feet that support the movable support surface thereon are located outside of an interior of the tote.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein, when the support feet are in the second position, the movable support surface is positioned to underlie a space located between the one or more guides.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
transporting the eaches to the loading position of the tote by one or more conveyors; and
moving the eaches from the one or more conveyors into the space located between the one or more guides and onto the movable support surface positioned under the space located between the one or more guides.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising placing a support plate onto the eaches after the eaches are moved from the one or more conveyors onto the movable support surface, wherein the support plate rests on top of and is supported by the eaches located on the movable support surface and permits additional ones of the eaches to be loaded onto the support plate.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising extracting, after the additional ones of the eaches are loaded onto the support plate, the support plate from between the eaches located on the movable support surface and the additional ones of the eaches located on the support plate to permit the additional ones of the eaches to shift down onto the eaches located on the movable support plate.