The subject matter of the invention are a nano-fulfillment center for storing products and packages as well as for singulating and completing orders, method of moving containers with products in the nano-fulfillment center, and method of completing and placing an order in the nano-fulfillment center for applications in the warehousing and sales industry.

CN210133562U reveals a package terminal for inserting and collecting a package intended to allow a package to be quickly loaded onto the storage surface of the package terminal. The package terminal includes: at least one insertion and collection area; a frame consisting of two rows of fencing; a mast configured to move along a corridor located between the two rows and containing two loaders; wherein the combined width of the loader’s width and the mast’s width measured toward the corridor is such that: the loader’s width and the mast’s width are equal to each other; when one of the loaders is placed in a fence area that has an entrance to at least one insertion and unloading area, at least one insertion and unloading area is introduced into the fence area. Another loader located on the opposite side of the mast is implicitly positioned on the threshold of fast loading, thereby allowing unloading on the threshold of fast loading during the loading in at least one insertion and unloading area.

US2015259141 A1 reveals a conveying device that includes a lifting platform, a pair of side arms that are positioned on the lifting platform and each capable of extending toward and withdrawing from either side of a package, and a bottom conveyor that is positioned on the lifting platform. At least one of the pair of the side arms is movable left-right perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction of the side arm. The side arm that is movable left-right includes a base member that is movable left-right. The base of the side arm includes a front guide leg member and a rear guide leg member, which are positioned at their respective ends in the direction of stretching and retracting of the base member on its underside. The bottom conveyor is located below the base body member between the front guide leg member and the rear guide leg member.

US2014034589A1 reveals a robotic distribution device, system, and method. The robotic distribution system may include a package delivery kiosk (PDK), associated systems that manage delivery of packages at the front and at the back, portals for consumers and the for the vendor, portals for the common carrier, sender and recipient, a package inventory management system, integrated retail access, a real and automated retail bidding system, and a distribution kiosk. The PDK includes a distribution kiosk and system of racks. The kiosk and system of racks include customizable shelves and partitions allowing access to the packages. The system of racks handles the packages from an automatic placement mechanism, and includes shelves with collection openings. The shelving system further includes partitions that fit the collection openings. Each divider has a receiving slot that allows a robotic gripper arm to grab or move a package in relation to the slot between a pair of partitions.

The nano-fulfillment center is a device for storing products and packages as well as for completing orders by means of a system of crane miniloads, a system of singulation, a system of inserting and picking up products together with a system of placing orders, a main computer (controller) that manages the material flow processes, and control of the devices that operate inside the nano-fulfillment center. The nano-fulfillment center is a system intended for applications in typical commercial spaces, with a small area and height.

Known nano-fulfillment centers consist of a system of shelves or racks on which products are stored (either directly or in bulk containers that are the basic logistical unit) as well as a computer system that manages orders and locations within the center. The computer system informs the employee operating the center about the location of the product to be collected and about its quantity. The employee goes to the indicated location and, obeying instructions from the WMS, singulates a product from a bulk container into the container that holds the completed order. This operation may be repeated several times for a given order depending on its size. The container in which the order is completed is marked with a unique identifier (RFID or 2/3D code). Said code is entered into the system by the operator. Once the order has been completed, the container travels to the location indicated by the system, awaiting further operations connected with processing of the order.

In such centers, presence of an operator is required to carry out the activities described above. Presence of an operator has a negative impact on material flow in terms of productivity, cost, and availability. The time required to complete an entire order in known solutions is significantly extended and inefficient (order processing time is usually counted in hours).

In known systems, containers are delivered to the robot’s working area (and in the opposite direction of material flow) by conveyors and transfers. Such a solution is suboptimal in terms of the amount of space required and the time it takes to transfer a container, for example, from a crane miniload to the movement area of the industrial robot. What is more, it is necessary to solve any problems connected with the proper queuing of containers, buffering them, etc.

The aim of the invention is to reduce order completion and execution times and to allow a high concentration of products per m ³ of available space in a nano-fulfillment center. Achieving short order completion times in a nano-fulfillment center makes it possible to conduct online sales for new groups of products with short shelf lives and goods that need to be collected by the customer in a very short time, e.g., food products and products that require quick handling, e.g., pharmaceuticals.

The essence of the invention is the nano-fulfillment center for storing products and packages as well as for singulating and completing orders, which consists of storage shelves and/or racks, a pickup rack, crane miniloads in the storage zone, an order completing station, a computer system that manages orders and locations in the center characterized in that it has at least two crane miniloads in the storage zone positioned in parallel to each other and perpendicularly with respect to the crane miniload in the pickup zone, wherein at the connection between the storage and pickup zones it has a singulation and completion station equipped with at least one industrial robot with a gripper and a vision system, and it has at least one pickup gate in the pickup zone and, on the opposite side, at least one loading gate, as well as an ordering system and a control system. Advantageously, crane miniloads in the storage zone have at least one single telescopic platform.

Advantageously, crane miniloads in the storage zone have two telescopic platforms and their spacing is a multiple of the spacing of containers on the rack.

Advantageously, the crane miniload in the pickup zone has a double telescopic platform with the drive of the telescope that extends the platform interlocked with the drive that moves the container through an electromagnetic clutch of the clutch- brake/release type.

Advantageously, the loading gate and the pickup gate have outer and inner safety guards that operate alternately.

Advantageously, the outer door in the pickup gate is a glass pane with a transparency control system.

Advantageously, the pickup gate has a scale and is equipped with at least 2 container height measuring gates through which a container passes while it is being taken onto the crane miniload. This solution helps to classify the height of the contents of the container as one of at least 3 categories and, depending on the result, to find a suitable place in the rack that will accommodate the container together with its contents or to detect an oversized load.

Advantageously, the pickup zone has a pickup rack.

Advantageously, the storage zone has at least one rack cart.

Advantageously, the rack cart has at least one shelf for placing a container, wheels, and a docking mechanism.

Advantageously, the nano-fulfillment center has a control system, which takes the form of a computer with a database.

Advantageously, the ordering system is a touch panel and/or an external mobile device in the form of a mobile phone or tablet, which are indirectly or directly connected to the main computer of the control system.

Advantageously, the nano-fulfillment center has a partial or complete thermal enclosure. The essence of the invention is the method of moving containers with products in the nano-fulfillment center characterized in that the products in the containers are placed in the rack cart, wherein each of the containers is on a separate shelf of the rack cart, which is then introduced into the loading gate, wherein the rack cart in the loading gate is mechanically locked, the outer safety guard of the loading gate closes, the inner safety guard that separates the rack cart from the crane miniloads in the storage zone opens, and then one of the crane miniloads in the storage zone removes the containers from the rack cart and moves it to the location on the storage rack as indicated by the control system.

The essence of the invention is the method of completing an order in the nanofulfillment center after the order has been placed, characterized in that the control system, in the form of a computer, sends information about the location of the container with specific contents to the crane miniloads in the storage zone, both crane miniloads or one crane miniload moves the container to the singulation and completion station within the working range of the industrial robot with a gripper, which takes individual products indicated by the vision system and puts the products in the container for the completed order with simultaneous operation of the vision system. Then, both crane miniloads or one crane miniload of the storage zone takes the container from the singulation area and puts it in the location indicated by the control system on the storage rack in the storage zone. Next, in the pickup zone, the crane miniload takes the container with the completed order from the singulation and completion zone to the pickup gate or puts it on the pickup rack, wherein in the pickup zone the container gets separated by closing the inner safety guard and opening the outer safety guard.

Advantageously, the container with the order is subjected to weighing in the pickup gate by means of the scale.

Advantageously, both crane miniloads or one crane miniload in the storage zone puts the containers directly into the working area of the industrial manipulator without a need for changing the orientation of the container.

The nano-fulfillment center of the invention is a device for storing products and packages as well as for sending and picking them up, which allows to reduce their storage area while also reducing the time needed for their loading, unloading, and completion of the order. Use of the system of crane miniloads and the industrial manipulator with a gripper, together with modules that supplement the process (loading gate, pickup gate) and the system for controlling the flow of products of the invention, makes it possible to reduce the order completion and execution times and enables a high concentration of products per m ³ of available space. In addition, the solution of the invention fully automates the flow of material from its loading in the form of containers that hold multiple pieces of a given product to picking up a specific order consisting of a specific number of products completed into one or more pickup containers, thanks to which it becomes possible to eliminate the human factor in the process of order execution.

Perpendicular positioning of the crane miniloads of the invention allows all the containers in the nano-fulfillment center to be moved oriented in one direction, thanks to which the layout of the nano-fulfillment center is as close as possible to a rectangle; in addition, it is possible to transfer goods directly between the crane miniloads, and a container in the pickup gate is accessed with the longer side oriented toward the person collecting the order, which consequently eliminates the need to turn it. Moreover, the use of two telescopic platforms in the crane miniloads enables two containers to be simultaneously taken and deposited in the working area of the industrial robot, which significantly reduces the time of the system’s operation.

Use of the container cart with several shelves of the invention allows reduction in the amount of space for storing goods and significantly shortens the time required for loading and collecting the containers (stocking and unstocking). The rack is equipped with wheels and a docking system for inserting containers into the storage zone. The containers are placed one after the other onto the cart rack. A full cart rack is inserted into the pickup gate and immobilized there by means of the docking mechanism. The pickup gate is fitted with two safety guards that operate independently. The guards operate alternately - one begins to open only when the other is closed. This solution makes possible simultaneous loading of the rack cart into the gate and operation of the crane miniload, so there is no need to deactivate the crane miniload while the cart is being introduced into its working area. What is more, this adds efficiency to the work of the operator who delivers containers to the system because it makes his/her work pace independent of the crane miniload’s work pace. The solution of the invention allows more than one container to be handled simultaneously by the industrial robot. The crane miniload can take and deposit any container located in the robot’s working area without interfering with the robot’s working cycle.

The subject matter of the invention is visualized in the drawing, where Fig. 1 shows the nano-fulfillment center in an axonometric view, Fig. 2 shows the nano-fulfillment center in an axonometric view, Fig. 3 shows the nano-fulfillment center in an axonometric view, Fig. 4 shows the interior of the nano-fulfillment center viewed from above, Fig. 5 shows the crane miniloads of the storage and pickup zones in an axonometric view, Fig. 6 shows the telescopic platform of the crane miniload from the pickup zone in an axonometric view from above, Fig. 7 shows the telescopic platform with containers in an axonometric view from above, Fig. 8 shows the singulation and completion station equipped with the industrial robot with a gripper as well as the vision system in an axonometric view, Fig. 9 shows the rack cart with the loading gate in an axonometric view, Fig. 10 shows the pickup gate in an axonometric view, Fig. 1 1 shows a diagram of the ordering system,

Embodiment I

In the embodiment, the nano-fulfillment center 1 for storing products and packages as well as for singulating and completing orders consists of the storage racks 6, the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5, the crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4, the order completing station and the control system 23. The crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4 are positioned parallel to each other and perpendicular to the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5. At the connection between the storage zone 4 and the pickup zone 5, there is the singulation and completion station 1 1 equipped with the industrial robot with a gripper 12 and the movable vision system 13. The nanofulfillment center has one pickup gate 10 in the pickup zone 5, and one loading gate 9 on the opposite side, as well as the ordering system 28 and the control system 23 in the form of a computer with a database that manages orders and locations in the center.

Embodiment II

In the embodiment, the nano-fulfillment center 1 for storing products and packages as well as for singulating and completing orders consists of the storage racks 6, the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5, the crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4, the order completing station 1 1 and the computer system that manages orders and locations in the center 23. The crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4 are positioned parallel to each other and perpendicular to the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5. The crane miniloads 3a, 3b have the single telescopic platform 14. The crane miniload 2 has one double telescopic platform 15 that can take 2 containers at the same time and is equipped with the drive of the telescope that extends the platform interlocked with the drive that moves the container through an electromagnetic clutch of the clutch-brake/release type. In this system, the belts responsible for moving a container on the platform are permanently connected to the motor, whereas the drive of the telescope that extends the platform is connected to the belts drive by means of an electromagnetic clutch. When there is a need to block the movement of the telescopic mechanism, the clutch is disengaged and the release is engaged. At the connection between the storage zone 4 and the pickup zone 5, it has the singulation and completion station 1 1 equipped with the industrial robot with a gripper 12 and the movable vision system 13. The nano-fulfillment center 1 has one pickup gate 10 in the pickup zone 5, and one loading gate 9 on the opposite side, as well as the ordering system 28 in the form of a touch panel on the housing of the nano-fulfillment center 1 and the control system 23 in the form of a computer with a database placed in the nano-fulfillment center 1 . The touch panel is directly connected to the main computer of the control system 23. The loading gate 9 has the outer safety guard 21 and the inner safety guard 20 that operate alternately, and the pickup gate 10 has the outer safety guard 26 and the inner safety guard 25 that operate alternately. The inner guard opens only after the outer guard is closed. The pickup zone 5 has the pickup rack 7. The storage zone 4 has the rack cart 16, which has the shelf 17 for placing a container therein, as well as the wheels 19 and the docking mechanism 18.

Embodiment III

In the embodiment, the nano-fulfillment center 1 for storing products and packages as well as for singulating and completing orders consists of the storage racks 6, the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5, the crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4, the order completing station 1 1 and the computer system that manages orders and locations in the center 23. The crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4 are positioned parallel to each other and perpendicular to the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5. The crane miniloads 3a, 3b have two single telescopic platforms 14 and their spacing is a multiple of the spacing of containers on the rack 6. The crane miniload 2 has one double telescopic platform 15 that can take 2 containers at the same time and is equipped with the drive of the telescope that extends the platform interlocked with the drive that moves the container through an electromagnetic clutch of the clutch- brake/release type. At the connection between the storage zone 4 and the pickup zone 5, there is the singulation and completion station 1 1 equipped with the industrial robot with a gripper 12 and the movable vision system 13. The nano-fulfillment center has two pickup gates 10 in the pickup zone 5, and two loading gates 9 on the opposite side, as well as the ordering system 28 in the form of a touch panel on the housing of the nano-fulfillment center 1 and the control system 23 in the form of a computer with a database placed in the nano-fulfillment center 1. The touch panel, a kiosk, is connected by wire to the main computer of the control system 23. The loading gates 9 have the outer 21 and inner 20 safety guards that operate alternately, and the pickup gates 10 have the outer 26 and inner 25 safety guards that operate alternately. The pickup gates 10 have scales 27 that detect a change in the weight of a container. Detection of a change in the weight of the container contributes to precision of controlling the moment of closing the safety guards 26. The outer guard 26 closes only after a change in the weight of the container is detected. The safety guard 26 is a glass pane with a transparency control system. The storage zone 4 has the rack carts 16, which have the shelves 17 for placing containers therein, as well as the wheels 19 and the docking mechanism 18. The pickup zone has the pickup rack 7, whereas the pickup gate 10 has 2 container height measuring gates 24 through which a container passes while it is being taken onto the crane miniload 2. This solution helps to classify the height of the contents of the container as one of at least 3 categories and, depending on the result, to find a suitable place in the rack that will accommodate the container together with its contents or to detect an oversized load. The nano-fulfillment center 1 has the partial thermal enclosure 8.

Embodiment IV

In the embodiment, the nano-fulfillment center 1 for storing products and packages as well as for singulating and completing orders consists of the storage racks 6, the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5, the crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4, the order completing station 1 1 and the computer system that manages orders and locations in the center 23. The crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4 are positioned parallel to each other and perpendicular to the crane miniload 2 in the pickup zone 5. The crane miniloads 3a, 3b have two single telescopic platforms 14 and their spacing is a multiple of the spacing of containers on the rack 6. The crane miniload 2 has one double telescopic platform 15 that can take 2 containers at the same time and is equipped with the drive of the telescope that extends the platform interlocked with the drive that moves the container through an electromagnetic clutch of the clutch- brake/release type. At the connection between the storage zone 4 and the pickup zone 5, there is the singulation and completion station 1 1 equipped with the industrial robot with a gripper 12 and the movable vision system 13. The nano-fulfillment center has one pickup gate 10 in the pickup zone 5, and one loading gate 9 on the opposite side, as well as the ordering system 28 in the form of the mobile device 22 and the control system 23 in the form of a computer with a database. The mobile device 22 is indirectly connected to the main computer of the control system 23 via a dedicated ordering application. The loading gates 9 have the outer 21 and inner 20 safety guards that operate alternately, and the pickup gates 10 have the outer 26 and inner 25 safety guards that operate alternately. The inner guard 25 opens only after the outer guard 26 is closed. The safety guard 26 is a glass pane with a transparency control system. The pickup gate 10 has the scale 27. Detection of a change in the weight of the container contributes to precision of controlling the moment of closing the safety guards 26. The storage zone 4 has the rack cart 16, which has the shelves 17 for placing containers therein, as well as the wheels 19 and the docking mechanism 18. The pickup zone has the pickup rack 7, whereas the pickup gate 10 has 2 container height measuring gates 24. The nano-fulfillment center 1 has the complete thermal enclosure 8.

Embodiment V

In the embodiment, the method of moving containers with products in the nanofulfillment center consists in that the products in the containers are placed on a separate shelf 17 of the rack cart 16, which is then introduced into the loading gate 9, where it is mechanically locked. At the same time, the outer safety guard 21 of the loading gate 9 closes. Then opens the inner safety guard 20 of the loading gate 9, which separates the rack cart 16 from the crane miniloads 3a and 3b of the storage zone 4. In succession, one of the crane miniloads 3a or 3b in the storage zone 4 removes the containers from the rack cart 16 and moves it to the location indicated on the storage rack 6 by the control system 23 in the form of a computer. Embodiment VI

In the embodiment, placing an order in the nano-fulfillment center 1 consists in accepting the order via the ordering system 28 connected directly to the main computer of the control system 23. The ordering system 28 can accept the order from external devices of the touch panel - kiosk type, which allow to see the offer available in the nano-fulfillment center for pickup immediately, on site or at a specific time. The ordering system 28 transmits information to the main computer of the control system 23 based on the created algorithm. Algorithm for placing an order for collection immediately on site: Start, Reception of information with order parameters, Order confirmation, Order completion, Order pickup, End. Algorithm for placing a preorder: Start, Reception of information with order parameters, Order confirmation, Determination of order collection time, Collection immediately / collection in one hour, Order completion, Order pickup, End.

Embodiment VII

In the embodiment, placing an order in the nano-fulfillment center 1 consists in accepting the order from an external device, e.g., a mobile phone 22, which is indirectly or directly connected to the main computer of the control system 23 and allows to see the offer available in the nano-fulfillment center. The ordering system 28 can accept the order from external devices for collection immediately, on site, or at a predetermined time. The ordering system 28 transmits information to the main computer of the control system 23 based on the created algorithm. Algorithm for placing an order for collection immediately on site: Start, Reception of information with order parameters, Order confirmation, Order completion, Order pickup, End. Algorithm for placing a preorder: Start, Reception of information with order parameters, Order confirmation, Determination of order collection time, Collection immediately / collection in one hour, Order completion, Order pickup, End.

Embodiment VIII

In the embodiment, the method of completing an order in the nano-fulfillment center after the order has been placed according to embodiment VII consists in that the control system 23, in the form of a computer, sends information about the location of the container with the specified contents to the crane miniload 3a in the storage zone 4. The crane miniload 3a moves the container to the singulation and completion station 1 1 within the working range of the industrial robot with a gripper 12 without a need for changing the orientation of the container, which takes individual products indicated by the movable vision system 13 and puts the product into the container for the completed order, with simultaneous operation of the vision system 13. Next, the crane miniload 3a takes the container from the singulation and completion area 11 and puts it in the location on the rack 6 in the storage zone 4 as indicated by the control system 23. Then, in the pickup zone 5, the crane miniload 2 takes the container with the completed order from the singulation and completion zone 1 1 to the pickup gate 10 or puts it on the pickup rack 7, wherein in the pickup gate 10 the container gets separated by closing the inner safety guard 25 and opening the outer safety guard 26.

Embodiment IX

In the embodiment, the method of completing an order in the nano-fulfillment center after the order has been placed according to embodiment VIII consists in that the control system 23, in the form of a computer, sends information about the location of the container with specific contents to the crane miniload 3b in the storage zone 4, the crane miniload 3b moves the container to the singulation and completion station 1 1 within the working range of the industrial robot with a gripper 12, which takes individual products indicated by the vision system 13 and puts the products in the container for the completed order with simultaneous operation of the vision system 13. The empty container in the singulation area is taken by the crane miniload 3b and deposited at the location on the rack 6 in the storage zone 4 indicated by the control system 23. If the order consists of more than one product, the crane miniload 3b returns to the first step and repeats the cycle until all the products have been completed, in which case the working cycle is repeated also by the industrial robot with a gripper 12, after which the next order indicated by the control system 23 is executed. Then, in the pickup zone 5, the crane miniload 2 takes the container with the completed order from the singulation and completion zone 11 to the pickup gate 10 or puts it on the pickup rack 7, wherein in the pickup gate 10 the container gets separated by closing the inner safety guard 25 and opening the outer safety guard 26. The outer safety guard 26 closes after the scale 27 detects a change in the weight, meaning that all the products have been removed from the container.

Embodiment X In the embodiment, the method of completing an order in the nano-fulfillment center after the order has been placed according to embodiment VII consists in that the control system 23, in the form of a computer, sends information about the location of the container with the specified contents to the crane miniloads 3a and 3b in the storage zone 4. The crane miniloads 3a and 3b move the containers to the singulation and completion station 1 1 within the working range of the industrial robot with a gripper 12 without a need for changing the orientation of any container, which takes individual products indicated by the movable vision system 13 and puts the product into the container for the completed order, with simultaneous operation of the vision system 13. Next, the crane miniloads 3a and 3b take the containers from the singulation and completion area 1 1 and put them in the location on the rack 6 in the storage zone 4 as indicated by the control system 23. Then, in the pickup zone 5, the crane miniload 2 takes the container with the completed order from the singulation and completion zone 1 1 to the pickup gate 10 or puts it on the pickup rack 7, wherein in the pickup gate 10 the container gets separated by closing the inner safety guard 25 and opening the outer safety guard 26.