CPC B65G 1/0492 (2013.01) | 30 Claims |
1. A warehousing system for storing and retrieving goods in containers, the warehousing system comprising:
a multilevel container storage array, each level of which has a transport area and a storage area, the storage area including an array of storage shelves configured to hold containers thereon, and the transport area being substantially continuous and arranged to communicably connect storage shelves of the array of storage shelves to each other, the transport area including picking aisles and a container transfer deck connecting the picking aisles;
at least one autonomous guided container transport vehicle, distinct from the container transfer deck, located on each level of the multilevel storage array and configured to traverse the container transfer deck and picking aisles on each level and transport containers accessed to and from container storage locations on each of the storage shelves on each level of the multilevel storage array to a breakpack operation station;
a putwall of more than one levels of breakpack goods container stations distributed along each level with a corresponding breakpack goods transfer deck at each level of the putwall;
at least one autonomous guided breakpack goods transport vehicle configured to traverse and transport breakpack goods along the corresponding breakpack goods transfer deck, and between corresponding breakpack goods transfer decks at different levels of the putwall, to each breakpack goods container station at each level of the putwall; and
a controller configured to effect operation of the at least one autonomous guided container transport vehicle between the container storage locations, the breakpack operation station, and a breakpack goods container located at a breakpack goods container station of the putwall.
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