EX10(cid:20)(cid:21)
`EX1012
`
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`

`

`a2 United States Patent
`US 6,654,662 B1
`(10) Patent No.:
`Hognaland
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Nov. 25, 2003
`
`
`US006654662B1
`
`(54) METHOD FOR ORGANIZING THE
`STORAGE OF DIFFERENT UNITS
`
`(75)
`
`Ingvar Hognaland, Nedre Vats (NO)
`
`Inventor:
`‘i
`%
`(73) Assignee: Autostore AS (NO)
`(*) Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`US.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`
`09/355,463
`
`(22)
`
`PCTFiled:
`
`Apr. 30, 1998
`
`(86) PCT No:.:
`
`PCT/NO98/00136
`
`§ 371 (c)(1),
`(2), (4) Date:
`
`Jul. 29, 1999
`
`(87) PCT Pub. No.: WO98/49075
`
`PCT Pub. Date: Nov. 5, 1998
`
`(30)
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Apt. 30, 1997
`
`(NO) one ceeseeeeecneeeseeeeeneeeneeeeere 972004
`
`Int. C1? ccc ecececeeesseseeteseeteseeesseeeeneens GO06F 7/00
`(S51)
`(52) U.S. Cle:
`svsssrevesszeearzevens 700/214; 700/216; 700/228;
`700/217
`(58) Field of Search .....0.0000.0c 700/230, 228,
`700/227, 215, 216, 217, 218, 281; 414/933,
`796.9, 792, 796.2
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4/1979 Talarico wees 93/51
`4,149,452 A *
`9/1981 Dahlstrom ........0.... 318/568
`4,287,459 A *
`9/1992 Stolzer et al.
`5,147,176 A
`3/1993 Lai
`5,190,427 A
`8/1994 Tsujimoto et al.
`5,340,262 A
`........ 414/786
`5,472,309 A * 12/1995 Bernard, I et al.
`5,609,460 A *
`3/1997 Abelet al. 414/334
`.. 414/269
`5,664,928 A *
`9/1997 Stauber
`
`9/1998 Gast, Jy. et ale wee 62/78
`5,799,495 A *
`
`9/1998 Mendeet al... 212/330
`5,803,280 A *
`5,844,806 A * 12/1998 Shibano oes 364/478
`
`5,934,413 A *
`8/1999 Konig etal. ..
`.. 186/56
`...
`+ 422/65
`5,985,214 A * 11/1999 Stylli et al.
`
`eee 53/443
`5,996,316 A * 12/1999 Kirschner...
`
`4/2000 Sato 0... eee 700/217
`6,055,462 A *
`..
`wee 700/216
`6,061,607 A *
`5/2000 Bradley et al.
`6,275,743 B1 *
`8/2001 Kondoet al. wc... 700/214
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`DE
`DE
`EP
`EP
`NO
`
`2629718 Al
`4133218
`0217757 B1
`0767113 A2
`163276
`
`1/1978
`4/1993
`4/1987
`4/1997
`2/1986
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Primary Examiner—Donald P. Walsh
`Assistant Examiner—Michael E. Butler
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Patterson, Thuente, Skaar &
`Christensen, P.A.
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`The invention concerns a method for organising the flow of
`goodsfor a stock consisting of heterogeneous units arranged
`closcly on top of and beside one another in stacked stan-
`dardised parallelepiped-shaped containers (1) which are
`joined into several co-ordinate-forming layers of containers
`in a vertical framework (6). With one or more computer-
`controlled lifting devices (5) with a gripping device (3) each
`individual containeris lifted mechanically up and out of the
`stack for manual replenishment or a manual packingstation
`(7). After dispatch the container (1) is returned to a new
`random, but continuously known position. The random and
`continuous alteration of location compels the statistically
`most frequently sold goodsto be located in containers which
`have recently been returned to the upper layer of the stack,
`while those goods whichstatistically are seldom sold over a
`period of time will be located in containers in the lower
`layers of the stack.
`
`5 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov.25, 2003
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`Sheet 1 of 6
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`US 6,654,662 B1
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`
`
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
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`Nov.25, 2003
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`Sheet 2 of 6
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`US 6,654,662 B1
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`eeuoP
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`Fig.2
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`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 25, 2003
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`US 6,654,662 B1
`
`Sheet 3 of 6
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`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov.25, 2003
`
`Sheet 4 of 6
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`
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`US 6,654,662 BI
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`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 25, 2003
`
`Sheet 5 of 6
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`US 6,654,662 B1
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`7
`
`Fig.4
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`ne
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`Fig.5
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`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 25, 2003
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`Sheet 6 of 6
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`US 6,654,662 B1
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` 8
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`f.)
`LATOTPLLLLLLL)
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`Fig.7
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`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`

`

`US 6,654,662 B1
`
`1
`METHOD FOR ORGANIZING THE
`STORAGE OF DIFFERENT UNITS
`
`The invention concerns a method for organising the flow
`of goods for a horizontally layered and deep-stacked stock
`of goods with heterogeneous units, together with equipment
`for transfer and continuous registration of standardised
`containers used in the implementation of the invention.
`In a trade organisation which purchases a multiplicity of
`units of heterogeneous form,size and weightfor storage and
`sells different types and numbers of units from this store to
`customers, a methodical organisation of the location of the
`units in the store is required in order to facilitate the flow of
`goods.
`This is necessary in order to be able to keep a stock
`adapted to sales, so that the number of the individual units
`in the stock is adapted to suit the expected sales.
`Furthermore,
`it is desirable that
`the goods should be
`placed within physically easy access in order to facilitate
`selection, and so that rolling of the stock can be imple-
`mented.
`Somestores collect the most sold goods in groups near
`packing,
`tables and the like in order to reduce internal
`movement.
`
`10
`
`15)
`
`20
`
`2
`Production and trading companies often have substantial
`storage space requirements, andit is essential to be able to
`make the most effective use possible of available space. The
`object of the present invention is to provide a utilization of
`space which far surpasses that which is achieved according
`to the previously known solutions, both with regard to
`exploitation of floor area and vertical stacking. Furthermore
`it is in an object to provide a highly effective facility for
`access to stored goods together with rolling of stored goods.
`An organisation’s storage requirements are closely asso-
`ciated with the requirements for accessibility.
`Direct physical access to the individual and oldest unit in
`stock is necessary and crucial for an effective handling
`and rolling of the units in the stock, and this normally
`has to be considered when introducing new units and,
`for example, selection when dispatching orders.
`Heterogeneous units cannot normally be deep-stacked,
`ie. stacked on top of one another or close to one
`another in the same shelf or on the same pallet. Suffi-
`cient space must therefore be allocated in the individual
`shelf to the numberof units which will be present when
`the store is full. If maximum stock requires space for a
`pallet with, e.g., 48 units of a given unit-which, for
`example, may correspond to one month’s sale- and
`order estimates are based on the assumption that new
`goods will arrive, e.g., ten days before an empty or
`sold-out situation arises, together with the fact that a
`purchase unit is a whole pallct, two pallet placcs must
`be allocated in the store.
`
`Other factors which create space requirements are the
`statts need for physical access to the individual and
`first-incoming item. Through-going access passage-
`ways must belaid out for trucks, parcel trolleys and the
`like, and these often also have to be allowed two-way
`traffic, which more than doubles the width of the access
`ways.
`Calculations of actual volume utilization for modern
`
`40
`
`45
`
`With the steady increase in the use of data technology 2
`each individual item is monitored, with the result that the
`physical location will be determined and altered with every
`new consignment which is purchased.
`Moreover, each individual unit can be marked with bar
`codes which are read mechanically for retrieval and
`checking, both during dispatch and inventory and during the
`customer’s receipt check.
`Retrieval is normally conducted by staff moving through
`the store’s network of access passagewayswith, e.g., trucks
`or collecting vehicles. On the basis of selection lists, based
`on customer orders, and which are edited according to the
`position of the different units in the store, the units are then
`collected which form part of the individual order for packing
`and dispatch.
`Various forms of automation of such stores, especially
`wholesale stores where the staff require access to the stored
`for retrieval of units from such a store, are previously
`units show a utilization factor of only 15-20%.
`known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,176 discloses such an automated
`Whendevelopingatraditional store of this kind, only raw
`storage system where units are given a random location, and
`goods producers and some industrial stores with a small
`where a computer program keeps continuous track of the
`number of types of goods and relatively few but major
`position of the individual units. This system further com-
`deliveries to a small number of customers can afford to
`prises storage shelves where the stored units are placed in
`boxes. Between the storage shelves there are access
`passages, and cranes or hoist devices transfer the storage
`boxes to vehicles which transport them to a packing station
`or the like.
`Another example is described in EP 767 113, which
`discloses a robot system for locating or removing units to
`and from a store. The units are stacked vertically, and the
`robot has a gripping device which can lift units vertically to
`remove them from the stack.
`USS. Pat. No. 5,340,262 describes a data based storage
`system which utilizes bar code marking of ingoing goods
`whichare placed in standard pallet storage shelves, without
`the goods being related to their physical location.
`EP 0 217 757 describes an automatic transfer device for
`
`deep-stack, i.e. to stack homogeneousarticles on top of one
`another and close to one anotherin a collective stack. Astore
`
`of this kind provides a greater utilization factor, but no
`access to the individual item.
`
`The necessary requirement for stock organisation and the
`above-mentioned and further objects are achieved by means
`of a method whichis characterized by whatis stated in the
`claims.
`
`A detailed description will now be given of the present
`invention with reference to the appended drawings.
`FIG. 1 showsa possible layout for a store which employs
`the present invention.
`FIG. 2 and FIG.2a are a side view of a part of a store as
`illustrated in FIG. 1, with a possible design of a lifting
`device.
`
`60
`
`65
`
`FIG. 3 showsa container for stored units together with a
`frame for control of such containers, all viewed from above.
`FIG. 4 shows the possible division of a container as
`illustrated in FIG. 3 into several compartments.
`FIG. 5 illustrates a hoist claw board for gripping and
`lifting containers like that illustrated in FIG. 3.
`
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`goods from a storage place to a handling place.
`NO 163276 describes sorting and holding store equip-
`ment for goods which are continuously coming from pro-
`duction in a bakery and which have to be packed in boxes
`according to individual customer orders, standard boxes
`being sequentially transferred from each packingstation via
`customerstations to delivery stations.
`
`

`

`US 6,654,662 B1
`
`3
`FIG. 6 illustrates a possible embodiment of a packing
`station for units which are removed from a store which
`employs the present invention.
`FIG. 7 illustrates a detail of the packing station in FIG. 6.
`The present invention for organisation of goods flow for
`a stock of goods of heterogeneous units is based, as shown
`in the example in FIG. 1, on a thoroughly compact assembly
`of standardised containers in a vertical framework. The
`various stored units are placed in these standardised con-
`tainers.
`A container’s standard dimensions for a given store is
`calculated on the basis of the individual units’ maximum
`sizc, and the containers can be scctioned as illustrated in
`FIG. 4, by dividing the container into several compartments
`by means of one or more longitudinal or transverse parti-
`tions.
`An essential condition will be that the various units which
`
`10
`
`15)
`
`4
`which are stored in such small amounts that they do not
`require a whole container from taking up an unnecessary
`amount of space.
`The containers are transferred by bringing a lifting device
`5 which includes a gripping device 3 into a position where
`it has access to a stack of containers from the top.
`A possible design of the gripping device 3 is indicated in
`FIG. 5. It is in the form of a board with at least two gripping
`fingers 3' which can engage with the container 1. When a
`gripping device of this design is in engagement with a
`container, it will form a lid which prevents the units which
`are stored in the container from falling out during transfer.
`In order to gain access to a given container 1 in the stack,
`the containersarelifted out from the top one by one, placed
`in temporary positions, for example on top of other stacks in
`the immediate vicinity, until the desired container has been
`lifted out of the stack. The desired container is placed
`temporarily in the same manner as the containers which
`have to be placed in the store do not vary too muchin size.
`were placed above it, while these other containers are
`As a practical example, reference may be madeto a store for
`replaced in the store, preferably in the same stack and so that
`electronic components or the like. In this case it will be ;
`they are in the same order in relation to one another. The
`possible to include 99% of an assortment of approximately
`50,000 variants distributed between 12,000 containers
`desired container 1 is then conveyed bythe lifting device 5
`which are 70 cm long, 40 cm wide and 25 cm high.
`fromits temporary position out of the store, for example to
`In order for such a stock to be contained inatraditional
`a packing station 7. A possible design of such a packing
`station is illustrated in the FIGS. 6 and 7.
`After the units concerned have been removed from the
`container 1, it is returned to the store by one of the lifting
`devices 5.
`
`store in a satisfactory manner with regard to accessibility
`and operating efficiency, there is an estimated requirement
`for 4800 m? of storage surface for fitting out with shelves
`and access passageways.
`By employing the present invention a storage area of 420
`m* will cover the same requirement. With 60 containers in
`length, 25 containers in width and 8 containers in height, the
`required 12,000 containers can be placed in a store with a
`floor surface of 42 mx10 m, and stacked in 2 m heights.
`(60x0.7 m=42 m, 25x0.4 m=10 m, 8x0.25 m=2 m). This
`gives a total volume of 820 m°.
`In this example the store is served from seven packing
`stations, six receiver stations and with up to four shipping
`stations.
`
`The above example, therefore, is illustrated in FIG. 1,
`while FIG. 2 illustrates the store viewed from the side. In
`FIG. 2 there is also shown a possible design of a lifting
`device 5 together with a framework 6 which separates the
`respective stacks of containers from one another, thus giving
`a highly compactstorage of units. The features which ensure
`an effective access to the stored goods will now be
`described.
`The lifting devices 5 may be composed of travelling
`cranes, carriages which move on a rail system on top of the
`store and which are equipped with crane devices, or any
`form of crane which provides direct access to the individual
`stacks in the store from the top. The practical design of the
`lifting devices 5 is not a part of this invention and as an
`embodiment we have chosen to employ a crane device.
`We now refer to FIG. 3. All the containers 1 are of the
`
`same design and dimensions, preferably in the form of a
`parallelepiped. The containers 1 will normally be designed
`without a lid and with a number of grooves 9 for insertion
`and attachment of a gripping device. Such a gripping device
`is illustrated in FIG. 5. The containers may advantageously
`be equipped with slide-forming vertical grooves on their
`four outer vertical sides in order to reduce the contact
`
`surface against the vertical framework 6 and thereby the
`friction, when they are brought into vertical movement up
`and out of cngagement with the framework 6.
`As illustrated in FIG. 4 the containers 1 may be sectioned
`by a number of longitudinal or transverse partitions, thus
`forming a plurality of compartments. This will prevent units
`
`40
`
`45
`
`60
`
`65
`
`Lach individual container 5 and each individual compart-
`ment 4 in each container is given a reference number. This
`reference numberis used by a computer system to keep track
`of the location of each container 1 at any given time, and in
`which compartment
`in which container a given unit
`is
`located at any time. Every time a container 1 is brought out
`of the store, this is recorded in the computer system. Each
`container 1 will
`therefore always be recorded as being
`located in a given position in the actual store, in a given
`intermediate storage station, in a given lifting device 5 or at
`a given packing station 7. If the system also comprises
`receiving stations and shipping stations,
`it will also be
`possible for such positions to be recorded by the computer
`system. In short, each localisation of each container at any
`time will be defined and recorded in the computer system. In
`the actual store such a position will comprise horizontal
`co-ordinates and vertical height in the framework 6.
`When a container 1 is placed into the store, either after
`replenishment of units which are added to the store or when
`the container is returned from a packing station 7, it may be
`placed anywhere in the store. The position will be recorded
`in the computer system, and the container can therefore be
`placed in the first available vacant space.
`In most stores whichincludea plurality ofdifferent stored
`units, some units will be sold more often than others. It is
`therefore desirable to place containers which contain units
`which are often in demand nearthe top of a given stack, and
`preferably also near the packing stations 7. This will reduce
`the retrieval time for the store in general.
`This will be performed automatically by means of the
`method which is described above, the containers which are
`often retrieved being placed on the top of a stack when they
`are returned, while the containers which are seldom
`retrieved will sink to the bottom of the stack every time a
`lower-lying container is removed and returned to the top of
`the stack.
`
`By considering the example which has already been
`discussed, where around 80% of the sales stands to the
`account of 20% of the numberof variants, it is shown to be
`
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`

`

`US 6,654,662 B1
`
`5
`desirable that these most sold variants should be located in
`or near the top layer at any time in order to reduce the
`retrieval time.
`Data simulation performed through three months of the
`orders showsthat in a horizontal 9-layer store, dispatches on
`this basis will be conducted as follows:
`33% from the stack surface’s top layer, 14% from the
`second layer and 11% from thethird layer, or altogether 58%
`from the three top layers. Since orders which comein in the
`course of a day can be systematised into an envisaged total
`order, a rearrangement of the retrieval of the store’s con-
`tainers can be carried out during the night, with the result
`that all the containers required for the next day’s dispatch are
`brought up to the top, or the second top layer, thus enabling
`the transfer of containers to the packing station to be
`performed at maximumspeed.
`Ingoing goods to the store are filled in separate, new
`chambers 4 in a container 1, with the result that each
`individual
`ingoing consignment according to,the list of
`contents is always equipped with the supplier’s receipt
`number as identification. Thus the same type ofarticle, but
`with a different receipt date, can be found in several cham-
`bers 4.
`Consecutive dispatches from the store entail a countdown
`total of the individual chambercontents, and a check is made
`of the final sale as a chamberis emptied.
`The individual item is marked with a bar code for a
`separate final check during dispatch and invoicing, and in
`order to facilitate the customer’s receipt check.
`Interesting safety details are built into a system of this
`kind as described:
`
`No container will disappear out of the system. They
`always have to be returned. It will only be possible to
`remove a container when there is an existing order.
`A highly concentrated and homogeneous path for the
`container’s travel from storage stack to picking station
`will provide a veryshort retricval time without travel-
`ling staff.
`Container transfer takes place in a built-in store and is
`therefore quiet and completely screened, thus eliminat-
`ing clamping damage.
`Audits of the stock are made possible by means of
`separale lest program runs.
`An inert atmosphere, e.g. completely dry air or nitrogen,
`may be introduced into the store in order to prevent corro-
`sion. This will be possible since the actual storage space can
`be kept to a minimum size, i.e.
`the space is filled to the
`maximum extent with the actual stock with associated
`
`10
`
`15)
`
`*
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`40
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`45
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`equipment, and since it is not necessary for the store staff to
`have physical access to the store. The extent of the air
`volume is therefore relatively small.
`The inventionis not limited to the illustrated embodiment,
`and many modifications are possible within the scope of the
`invention. Other types of gripping and lifting devices, for
`example, may therefore be employed than those which are
`illustrated, such as carriages on rails instead of crane
`devices.
`Whatis claimedis:
`
`;
`
`1. Asystem of organization with respect to location and
`flow of goods for a stock of heterogeneous units in a store
`having a plurality of stacks of standardized containers,
`comprising;
`a vertical framework to store a plurality of stacks of
`standardized containers, wherein the framework is
`accessible from the top;
`a plurality of standardized parallelepiped-shaped contain-
`ers having four outer vertical sides and adapted to the
`
`60
`
`65
`
`6
`physical dimensions of the units for storing the units
`therein,
`the containers being arranged in horizontal
`layers and deep-stacked and stock joinedin the vertical
`framework,
`thereby forming several horizontal
`co-ordinate forming layers of containers whose posi-
`tions at any time are random;
`a computer system to continuously monitor and record the
`positions of the containers;
`at least one lifting device including a gripping device,
`wherein the lifting device has access to the framework
`from the top of the framework, wherein a lifting device
`is moved to a position above a stack having the same
`horizontal co-ordinate as the horizontal co-ordinate
`recorded in the computer system for a desired con-
`tainer; wherein the lifting device is used to grip and
`hoist a top most container from the stack, wherein the
`top most container that is not the desired container is
`moved to a temporary position, wherein the lifting
`device continues to move containers from the stack to
`temporary positions until the gripping device grips the
`desired container, wherein the lifting device is used to
`movethe desired container to a predeterminedlocation,
`wherein the containers moved to temporary positions
`are returned back to the stack so that their relative order
`is retained, and wherein the desired container is
`returned to a top of a stack;
`whereby to minimize retrieval and delivery time of
`desired containers between the store and the predeter-
`mined location, requests for containers from the store
`during a given period of time are input togetherinto the
`computer system so that prior to the given period, the
`containers in each stack are arranged so that a container
`to be retrieved more frequently than another container
`during the given period is placed higher in each respec-
`tive stack.
`2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the contain-
`ers are divided into different compartments according to
`their purpose.
`3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least
`one gripping device is constructed and arranged in the form
`of a board with gripping fingers, and wherein each container
`has corresponding groovesarranged for being gripped by the
`gripping, fingers, so that when the gripping device engages
`a container, the board forms a lid over the container.
`4. The system according to claim 1, wherein outervertical
`sides of the containers have slide-forming vertical grooves
`to control movement and reducefriction and surface contact
`
`the vertical framework when the containers are
`against
`moved vertically within the framework.
`5. A system of organization with respect to location and
`flow of goods for a stock of heterogeneous units in a store
`having a plurality of stacks of standardized containers,
`comprising:
`a vertical framework to store a plurality of stacks of
`standardized containers, wherein the framework is
`accessible from the top;
`a plurality of standardized parallelepiped-shaped contain-
`ers having four outer vertical sides an adapted to the
`physical dimensions of the units for storing the units
`therein,
`the containers being arranged in horizontal
`layers and deep-stacked and stock joinedin the vertical
`framework,
`thereby forming several horizontal
`co-ordinate forming layers of containers whose posi-
`tions at any time are random;
`a computer system to continuously monitor and record the
`positions of the containers;
`
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
`

`

`US 6,654,662 B1
`
`8
`7
`temporary positions until the gripping device grips the
`at least one lifting device including a gripping device,
`wherein the lifting device has access to the framework
`desired container, wherein the lifting device is used to
`from the top of the framework, whereinalifting device
`move the desired container to a predetermined location,
`is moved to a position above a stack having the same
`wherein the containers moved to temporary positions
`horizontal co-ordinate as the horizontal co-ordinate
`are returned back to the stack so that their relative order
`recorded in the computer system for a desired con-
`tainer; wherein the lifting device is used to grip and
`hoist a top most container from the stack, wherein the
`top most container that is not the desired container is
`moved to a temporary position, wherein the lifting
`device continues to move containers from the stack to
`
`is retained, and wherein the desired container is
`returned to a top of a stack;
`wherein an inert atmosphere is introduced into the store.
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`10
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`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`OCADO GROUP PLC EX1012
`
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