Apparatus for retrieving units from a storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11066237-B2
Application number	US-202017118349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A storage system and a load handling device for lifting and moving containers stacked in the storage system are described. The storage system includes a plurality of rails or tracks arranged in a grid pattern above the stacks of containers. The grid pattern can include a plurality of grid spaces and each stack is located within a footprint of only a single grid space. The load handling device is configured to move laterally on the rails or tracks above the stacks. The load-handling device includes a container-receiving space located above the rails or tracks in use and a lifting device arranged to lift a container from a stack into the container-receiving space. The load handling device has a footprint that, in use, occupies only a single grid space in the storage system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load handling device comprising:
a housing comprising two lateral sides, a front side, a back side, and a top side that together form part of an external structure that at least partly encloses an inner portion of the housing, the inner portion comprising a container receiving space;
a first plurality of wheels configured to engage a first set of rails of a grid frame and comprising a first pair of wheels and a second pair of wheels located on an opposite side of the housing from the first pair of wheels, the first set of rails being configured to guide movement of the housing in a first direction along a top level of the grid frame, the grid frame comprising a three-dimensional storage structure configured to store stacks of containers beneath the top level of the grid frame, one or more of the first pair of wheels having an outer hub surface that faces away from the container receiving space;
a second plurality of wheels configured to engage a second set of rails of the grid frame, the second plurality of wheels comprising a third pair of wheels and a fourth pair of wheels, one or more of the third pair of wheels having an outer hub surface that faces away from the container receiving space, the second set of rails being configured to guide movement of the housing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction along the top level of the grid frame, the second plurality of wheels being configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the first plurality of wheels;
a container lifting device positioned in the inner portion of the housing and comprising a container-lift motor configured to lift a container from one of the stacks of containers within the three-dimensional storage structure and fully into the container receiving space; and
a wheel lifting device positioned in the inner portion of the housing and comprising a wheel-lift motor configured to raise and lower the second plurality of wheels with respect to the first plurality of wheels to selectively engage the first plurality of wheels with the first set of rails or selectively engage the second plurality of wheels with the second set of rails,
wherein the wheel-lift motor is positioned above the container receiving space and operably connected to the second plurality of wheels via a mechanical connection, and the wheel-lift motor is configured to push the mechanical connection to lower the second plurality of wheels.

2. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein the wheel-lift motor is configured to draw the mechanical connection to raise the second plurality of wheels and cause the first plurality of wheels to engage with the first set of rails.

3. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein the wheel-lift motor is configured to push the mechanical connection to engage the second plurality of wheels with the second set of rails and lift the first plurality of wheels from the first set of rails.

4. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical connection is configured to extend along opposite sides of the container receiving space.

5. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the second pair of wheels have an outer hub surface that faces away from the container receiving space.

6. The load handling device of claim 1 , further comprising a gripper device configured to grip the container.

7. The load handling device of claim 6 , wherein the gripper device is suspended from a plurality of cables configured to vertically raise and lower the gripper device.

8. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein the container lifting device is positioned in the inner portion of the housing between the container receiving space and the top side of the housing.

9. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a cuboid shape.

10. The load handling device of claim 1 , in combination with the grid frame.

11. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of rails is part of a first set of tracks, and the second set of rails is part of a second set of tracks.

12. The load handling device of claim 1 , wherein the container is configured to fit between two consecutive rails of the first set of rails and two consecutive rails of the second set of rails.

13. A load handling device comprising:
a housing comprising two lateral sides, a front side, a back side, and a top side that together form part of an external structure that at least partly encloses an inner portion of the housing, the inner portion comprising a container receiving space;
a first plurality of wheels configured to engage a first set of rails of a grid frame and comprising a first pair of wheels and a second pair of wheels located on an opposite side of the container receiving space from the first pair of wheels, one or more of the first pair of wheels having an outer hub surface that faces away from the container receiving space, the first set of rails being configured to guide movement of the housing in a first direction along a top level of the grid frame, the grid frame comprising a three-dimensional storage structure configured to store stacks of containers beneath the top level of the grid frame;
a second plurality of wheels configured to engage a second set of rails of the grid frame, the second plurality of wheels comprising a third pair of wheels and a fourth pair of wheels, one or more of the third pair of wheels having an outer hub surface that faces away from the container receiving space, the second set of rails being configured to guide movement of the housing in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction along the top level of the grid frame, the second plurality of wheels being configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the first plurality of wheels;
a container lifting device positioned in the inner portion of the housing and comprising a container-lift motor configured to lift a container from one of the stacks of containers within the three-dimensional storage structure and fully into the container receiving space; and
a wheel lifting device positioned in the inner portion of the housing and comprising a wheel-lift motor configured to raise and lower the second plurality of wheels with respect to the first plurality of wheels to selectively engage the first plurality of wheels with the first set of rails or selectively engage the second plurality of wheels with the second set of rails, the wheel-lift motor being positioned between the container receiving space and the top side of the housing.

14. The load handling device of claim 13 , further comprising a gripper device configured to grip the container.

15. The load handling device of claim 14 , wherein the gripper device is suspended from a means for vertically raising and lowering the gripper device.

16. The load handling device of claim 13 , wherein the container lifting device is positioned in the inner portion of the housing between the container receiving space and the top side of the housing.

17. The load handling device of claim 13 , wherein the housing has a cuboid shape.

18. The load handling device of claim 13 , in combination with the grid frame and the one of the stacks of containers from which the container is lifted.

19. The load handling device of claim 13 , wherein the inner portion of the housing is unable to contain another container of the one of the stacks of containers when the container is positioned in the container receiving space.

20. A load handling device comprising:
a housing comprising a plu

Assignees

• Ocado Innovation Ltd

Inventors

• Lindbo Lars Sverker Ture
• Stadie Robert Rolf
• Whelan Matthew Robert
• Brett Christopher Richard James

Classifications

• B65G1/0464 Primary

  with access from above · CPC title

• B65G1/04 Primary

  mechanical · CPC title

• B65G59/02

  De-stacking from the top of the stack · CPC title

• B65G57/03

  from above · CPC title

• B65G1/0414 Primary

  provided with satellite cars adapted to travel in storage racks · CPC title