AS/RS lift having vertically-aligned dual carriages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10611568-B2
Application number	US-201715414957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 25, 2017
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A material handling system has a vertical lift two vertically aligned carriages that are independently positionable on a vertical support structure by respective drive systems. A processor subsystem selects one of the two carriages to move an article from at least one in-feed conveyor to a selected level of an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). The processor subsystem concurrently positions the other carriage to avoid a collision.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A material handling system comprising:
a storage rack having more than one vertically-spaced level, wherein each vertically spaced level has a plurality of storage locations accessible from an adjacent aisle;
a shuttle vehicle that services a vertically-spaced level of the storage rack;
a vertical lift having a vertical support structure positioned proximate to the storage rack and having a vertically aligned first carriage and second carriage independently positionable along a respective first vertical portion and a second vertical portion of the vertical support structure, wherein at least a portion of each of the first vertical portion and the second vertical portion of the vertical support structure overlap;
a first vertical drive system coupled to the first carriage to position the first carriage to pick up and to deposit articles at selected levels within the first vertical portion of the vertical support structure;
a second vertical drive system coupled to the second carriage to position the second carriage to pick up and to deposit articles at selected levels within the second vertical portion of the vertical support structure; and
a processor subsystem in communication with the first vertical drive system and the second vertical drive system to:
selectively position the first carriage and the second carriage at respective selective levels along the vertical support structure to avoid collision between the first carriage and the second carriage; and
activate the first carriage to pick up and to deposit articles at a selected level and concurrently position the second carriage out of a path of the first carriage to avoid collision between the first carriage and the second carriage.

2. The material handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first vertical portion comprises an overlapping zone and a first exclusive zone above the overlapping zone; and
the second vertical portion comprises the overlapping zone and a second exclusive zone below the overlapping zone.

3. The material handling system of claim 2 , further comprising at least one in-feed conveyor and at least one out-feed conveyor that are adjacent to a level of the overlapping zone and that are serviced by a selected one of the first carriage and the second carriage.

4. The material handling system of claim 2 , further comprising:
at least one in-feed conveyor and at least one out-feed conveyor that are adjacent to a level of the first exclusive zone and that are serviced by the first carriage; and
at least one in-feed conveyor and at least one out-feed conveyor that are adjacent to a level of the second exclusive zone and that are serviced by the second carriage.

5. The material handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first vertical portion is coextensive with a first exclusive zone and spaced apart from the second vertical portion that is coextensive with a second exclusive zone; and
the processor subsystem selectively positions the first carriage within the first exclusive zone and selectively positions the second carriage within the second exclusive zone to prevent colliding.

6. A vertical lift comprising:
a vertical support structure positionable proximate to a storage rack;
vertically aligned first carriage and second carriage received for vertical movement along the vertical support structure, each one of the first carriage and the second carriage independently positionable on the vertical support structure respectively in a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion of the vertical support structure, wherein at least a portion of the first vertical portion and the second vertical portion of the vertical support structure overlap;
a first vertical drive system coupled to the first carriage to position the first carriage to pick up and to deposit articles at selected levels within the first vertical portion of the vertical support structure that correspond to levels of a storage rack, the levels having a plurality of storage locations accessible from an adjacent aisle that are serviced by one or more shuttle vehicles;
a second vertical drive system coupled to the second carriage to position the second carriage to pick up and to deposit articles at selected levels within the second vertical portion of the vertical support structure that correspond to levels of the storage rack, the levels having a plurality of storage locations accessible from an adjacent aisle that are serviced by one or more shuttle vehicles; and
a processor subsystem in communication with the first vertical drive system and the second vertical drive system to:
selectively position the first carriage and the second carriage at respective selective levels along the vertical support structure to avoid collision between the first carriage and the second carriage; and
activate the first carriage to pick up and to deposit articles at a selected level and concurrently position the second carriage out of a path of the first carriage to avoid collision between the first carriage and the second carriage.

7. The vertical lift of claim 6 , wherein:
the first vertical portion comprises an overlapping zone and a first exclusive zone above the overlapping zone; and
the second vertical portion comprises the overlapping zone and a second exclusive zone below the overlapping zone.

8. The vertical lift of claim 7 , wherein the first carriage and the second carriage are positionable to service at least one in-feed conveyor and at least one out-feed conveyor that are adjacent to a level of the overlapping zone.

9. The vertical lift of claim 7 , wherein:
the first carriage is positionable to service at least one in-feed conveyor and at least one out-feed conveyor that are adjacent to a level of the first exclusive zone; and
the second carriage is positionable to service at least one in-feed conveyor and at least one out-feed conveyor that are adjacent to a level of the second exclusive zone.

10. The vertical lift of claim 6 , wherein:
the first vertical portion is coextensive with a first exclusive zone and spaced apart from the second vertical portion that is coextensive with a second exclusive zone; and
the processor subsystem selectively positions the first carriage within the first exclusive zone and selectively positions the second carriage within the second exclusive zone to prevent colliding.

11. A method comprising:
conveying an article on an in-feed conveyor to a storage rack having more than one vertically-spaced level, each level having a plurality of storage locations accessible from an adjacent aisle;
receiving a selected storage location for the article;
selecting a first carriage of a vertical lift to receive the product from the in-feed conveyor based at least in part on a corresponding level of the storage rack associated with the selected storage location, the vertical lift having a vertical support structure positioned proximate to the storage rack, the first carriage vertically aligned with a second carriage of the vertical lift and independently positionable along a respective first vertical portion and a second vertical portion of the vertical support structure, wherein at least a portion of the first vertical portion and the second vertical portion of the vertical support structure overlap;
activating a first vertical drive system to position the first carriage at the in-feed conveyor;
receiving the article on the first carriage;
activating the first vertical drive system to position the first carriage at the corresponding level to deposit the article for put away by a shuttle vehicle that is servicing the adjacent aisle; and
activating a second vertical drive system to position t

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Schack Douglas K
• Buerkle Ralf
• Cleary Jonathon
• Lingamfelter Charles Christopher

Classifications

• B66F11/00

  Lifting devices specially adapted for particular uses not otherwise provided for (ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle B60S9/00) · CPC title

• G05B19/41865 Primary

  characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow · CPC title

• B65G1/0492

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B65G1/06 Primary

  with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level (B65G1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title