Automated storage and retrieval system and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10633186-B2
Application number	US-201815905783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2018
Priority date	Feb 24, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A method for operating an automated storage and retrieval system includes transferring a first item storage container from an aisle to a first region of a first storage location, positioning a second item storage container in the aisle proximate the first item storage container, interlocking the second item storage container to the first item storage container by engaging a releasable coupling structure extending there between, and applying, in a first direction transverse to the aisle, a force to the second item storage container sufficient in magnitude and duration to cause the first item storage container to occupy the second region of the first storage location and the second item storage container to occupy the first region of the first storage location, whereby the first and second item storage containers remain interlocked while in the first storage location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating an automated storage and retrieval system having a rack structure for defining first and second arrays of storage locations separated by an aisle, each storage location of the first and second arrays being accessible from the aisle and defining a first region proximal to the aisle and a second region distal to the aisle, comprising the steps of:
transferring a first item storage container from the aisle to the first region of the first storage location,
positioning a second item storage container in the aisle proximate the first item storage container;
interlocking the second item storage container to the first item storage container by engaging a releasable coupling structure extending there between;
applying, in a first direction transverse to the aisle, a force to the second item storage container sufficient in magnitude and duration to cause the first item storage container to occupy the second region of the first storage location and the second item storage container to occupy the first region of the first storage location, whereby the first and second item storage containers remain interlocked while in the first storage location;
transferring the second item storage container to a second storage location accessible from the aisle, wherein the step of moving the second container comprises the steps of:
removing the second item storage container from the first storage location, wherein the step of removing the second item storage container displaces the first item storage container into the first region of the first storage location;
releasably coupling the second item storage container with a third item storage container in the second storage location;
displacing the second item storage container into the second storage location, wherein the step of displacing the second item storage container displaces the third item storage location from a first portion of the second storage location to a second portion of the second storage location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the second storage location, from among a plurality of storage locations having at least one vacant storage region, based on shortest distance to the first storage location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring the first item storage container comprises transporting the first item storage container within the aisle and into a position of alignment with the first storage location.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of transferring the first item storage container further includes the step of applying, in the first direction, a force to the first item storage container sufficient in magnitude and duration to cause the first item storage container to occupy the first region of the first storage location.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of applying forces comprises applying forces to exterior surface portions of the first item storage container during the step of transferring.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the exterior surface portions are disposed within the aisle during the step of transferring.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of transporting comprises operating a first independently movable vehicle, of a plurality of independently movable vehicles, to move at least one of horizontally or vertically within the aisle and into a position of alignment with the first storage location.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of transferring the first item storage container further includes operating the first independently movable vehicle to apply a force to the first item storage container sufficient in magnitude and duration to cause the first item storage container to occupy the first region of the first storage location.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of positioning is performed by operating a second independently movable vehicle, of the plurality of independently movable vehicles, to move at least one of horizontally or vertically within the aisle and into a position aligning a releasable coupling component of the second item storage container with a releasable coupling component of the first item storage container.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of operating the first independently movable vehicle to move into a charging area following transfer of the first item storage container to the first storage location and operating the second independently movable vehicle to move into the charging area following transfer of the second item storage container.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of interlocking is performed by operating the second independently movable vehicle to move into a position bringing the releasable coupling component of the second item storage container into interlocking engagement with the releasable coupling component of the first item storage container.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of applying is performed by operating the second independently movable vehicle to apply forces to the second item storage container while the releasable coupling component of the second item storage container is maintained in interlocking engagement with the releasable coupling component of the first item storage container.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of applying, in a second direction opposite to the first direction, forces to the second item storage container sufficient in magnitude and duration to cause withdrawal of the second item container from the first region of the first storage location and the first item storage container to move from the second region of the first storage location into the first region of the first storage location.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of decoupling the second item storage container from the first item storage container by disengaging the releasable coupling structure extending there between.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising the step of decoupling the second item storage container from the first item storage container.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transferring the second item to the first region of the second storage location comprises the steps of:
positioning the second item storage container in the aisle proximate the third item storage container occupying the first region of the second storage location;
interlocking the second item storage container to the third item storage container by engaging a releasable coupling structure extending there between; and
applying, in a direction transverse to the aisle, a force to the second item storage container sufficient in magnitude and duration to cause the third item storage container to occupy the second region of the second storage location and the second item storage container to occupy the first region of the second storage location.

17. A method for operating an automated storage and retrieval system having a rack structure for defining a plurality of arrays of storage locations, wherein each array of storage locations is separated from an adjacent array by a corresponding aisle and wherein each storage location is accessible from at least one aisle, the method comprising the steps of:
transferring a first item storage container from a first aisle to a first region of a first storage location,
positioning a second item storage container in the first aisle proximate the first item storage container;
releasably coupling the second item storage container to the first item storage container;
applying a force to the second item storage container sufficie

Assignees

• Opex Corp

Inventors

• Valinsky Joseph
• Dewitt Robert R
• Stevens Alexander
• Kumar Dhruva

Classifications

• B65G1/0421

  with control for stacker crane operations · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/1375 Primary

  the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck · CPC title

• B65G2201/0235

  Containers · CPC title

• B65G1/0435

  with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area · CPC title