Automated storage facility including a storage and retrieval system and a floor inventory management system

摘要

An automated storage facility includes a storage and retrieval system and a floor inventory management system. The storage and retrieval system uniquely palletizes bossies and stores palletized bossies and palletized stacks of cases together in the same storage and retrieval system. The system provides order picking of stacked cases for movement out of the storage retrieval system into an accumulator, and retrieving bossie carts from the storage and retrieval system while concurrently receiving and storing new pallets of stacked cases and new pallets with loaded bossies. It provides acceptance of loaded bossie cart-bearing pallets and discharging of loaded bossie cart pallets at one level while storing the pallets with the bossie carts throughout the storage system. Pallets with stacks of cases are delivered to order pick lanes for picking stacks from the pallets, while case stacks on conveyors are accumulated on pallets and accepted for storage on another level. The pallets with stacks of cases concurrently move throughout the storage system. A pallet is also provided, which handles stacked cases and bossie carts, as is a unique method and apparatus for loading and unloading the bossie carts on and off the pallets. The invention is a novel system for storing and retrieving products assembled and organized in different carriers. The inventory management system includes a server, client personal computers, client RF (radio-frequency) terminals, and various other peripherals, all running inventory management software.