Patents by Inventor Nathan Ulrich
Nathan Ulrich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20180016098Abstract: A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2017Publication date: January 18, 2018Inventors: John LERT, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich, Eric Peters
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Patent number: 9771217Abstract: A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2015Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Symbotic, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich, Eric Peters
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Patent number: 9694975Abstract: A transport system for a storage and retrieval system having an array of storage levels, each storage level having respective storage areas, the transport system including a vertical conveyor having a frame and support shelves movably coupled to the frame, each support shelf being configured to hold one or more uncontained case units in predetermined areas of the support shelf, and transfer vehicles disposed on respective ones of the storage levels, the vertical conveyor having a conveyor to transfer vehicle interface configured to transfer the uncontained case units substantially directly between the support shelves and the transfer vehicles for transport to the storage areas in substantially one transfer vehicle picking operation.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2010Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Symbotic, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Nathan Ulrich
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Publication number: 20160236866Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2016Publication date: August 18, 2016Inventors: Robert SULLIVAN, John LERT, Stephen C. TOEBES, Foster HINSHAW, Nathan ULRICH
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Publication number: 20160185526Abstract: A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassable.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
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Patent number: 9321591Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Symbotic, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
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Publication number: 20150375938Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2013Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
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Publication number: 20150266672Abstract: A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2015Publication date: September 24, 2015Inventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich, Eric Peters
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Patent number: 9096375Abstract: A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassible.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2010Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: Symbotic, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
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Patent number: 9051120Abstract: A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2013Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Symbotic LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich, Eric Peters
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Patent number: 8763506Abstract: A roller system including a frame, a plurality of arm assemblies configured to apply a force to a surface, each arm assembly including an arm pivotably connected to the frame and a roller assembly pivotably connected to the arm and having a plurality of rollers configured to engage with the surface, and a pressure distribution system configured to adjust the force applied to the surface by at least one of the plurality of arm assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: Humanistic RoboticsInventors: Nathan Ulrich, Joshua Koplin, Samuel Reeves, Stephen Ahnert, Erik De Brun
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Publication number: 20140088758Abstract: A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: Symbotic, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich, Eric Peters
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Patent number: 8594835Abstract: A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2010Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Symbotic, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich, Eric Peters
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Patent number: 8425173Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2010Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Symbotic LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
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Publication number: 20110048217Abstract: A roller system including a frame, a plurality of arm assemblies configured to apply a force to a surface, each arm assembly including an arm pivotably connected to the frame and a roller assembly pivotably connected to the arm and having a plurality of rollers configured to engage with the surface, and a pressure distribution system configured to adjust the force applied to the surface by at least one of the plurality of arm assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2008Publication date: March 3, 2011Inventors: Nathan Ulrich, Joshua Koplin, Samuel Reeves, Ahnert Stephen, Erik De Brun
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Publication number: 20100322746Abstract: A transport system for a storage and retrieval system having an array of storage levels, each storage level having respective storage areas, the transport system including a vertical conveyor having a frame and support shelves movably coupled to the frame, each support shelf being configured to hold one or more uncontained case units in predetermined areas of the support shelf, and transfer vehicles disposed on respective ones of the storage levels, the vertical conveyor having a conveyor to transfer vehicle interface configured to transfer the uncontained case units substantially directly between the support shelves and the transfer vehicles for transport to the storage areas in substantially one transfer vehicle picking operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2010Publication date: December 23, 2010Applicant: CASEPICK SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen C. Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Nathan Ulrich
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Publication number: 20100316469Abstract: An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Applicant: CasePick Systems, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
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Publication number: 20100316470Abstract: A warehouse storage and retrieval system including an array of multilevel storage racks having at least one transfer deck, picking isles and storage areas disposed along picking isles, the storage areas being configured to hold differing loads, and a controller including a management module configured to variably size the storage areas of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and assign each of the variably sized storage areas to a corresponding one of the differing loads, wherein the storage and retrieval system is arranged to transport the differing loads for placement in the variably sized storage areas assigned by the controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Applicant: CASEPICK SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster D. Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich, Eric Peters
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Publication number: 20100316468Abstract: A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassible.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Applicant: CasePick Systems, LLCInventors: John Lert, Stephen Toebes, Robert Sullivan, Foster Hinshaw, Nathan Ulrich
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Publication number: 20070039556Abstract: A self-cleaning litter box is disclosed which provides various advantages over the prior art. In particular, in one embodiment, the self-cleaning litter box is configured to use a cartridge which may include a litter compartment and a waste compartment. In another embodiment, the cartridge may be non-compartmentalized. The cartridge may be disposable, thus eliminating the need for the user to clean the litter tray and handle heavy litter containers. In other embodiments, the system includes a rake assembly configured with a drive assembly that is protected from contamination. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the self-cleaning litter box is configured to be used with all types of litter including crystal type litter.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2004Publication date: February 22, 2007Inventors: Alan Cook, Kristin Grube, Thomas Devlin, Jeff Greason, Karl Ulrich, Nathan Ulrich, Chi Yau