Dual-axis vertical displacement and anti-rock support with a materials handling vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097896-B2
Application number	US-201916721070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	May 23, 2016
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a picking attachment is secured to a fork carriage assembly and comprising an X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner to engage and disengage a target tote such that movement of the picking attachment along a Z axis by the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner is independent of movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z′ by the mast assembly and mast assembly control unit. The fork carriage assembly may comprise a mobile storage cart support platform defined by one or more cart lifting forks, and an anti-rock cart engagement mechanism configured to engage a mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A materials handling vehicle comprising a mast assembly, a fork carriage assembly, and a picking attachment, wherein:
the mast assembly is configured to move the fork carriage assembly along a vertical axis Z′;
the picking attachment is secured to the fork carriage assembly and comprises an X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner wherein the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner comprises a rotational Ψ positioner configured to rotate independent of the fork carriage assembly about a Z-axis that is parallel to the vertical axis Z′;
the materials handling vehicle executes vehicle functions to use the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner of the picking attachment to engage and disengage a target tote positioned in a multilevel warehouse racking system with the picking attachment; and
the mast assembly and the picking attachment are collectively configured such that movement of the picking attachment along the Z axis by the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner is independent of movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z′ by the mast assembly.

2. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the mast assembly and the picking attachment are collectively configured such that movement of the picking attachment along the Z axis by the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner is supplemented by movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z′ by the mast assembly.

3. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner comprises:
an X-positioner comprising rails configured to permit movement of the picking attachment along a first lateral axis in a lateral plane;
a Y-positioner comprising rails configured to permit movement of the picking attachment along a second lateral axis perpendicular to the first lateral axis in the lateral plane;
a Z-positioner comprising a vertical displacement mechanism configured to slidably engage with a post of the fork carriage assembly for vertical displacement with respect to the fork carriage assembly along the Z-axis perpendicular to the first lateral axis and the second lateral axis; and
the rotational Ψ positioner comprises a shaft configured to permit rotation of the picking attachment about the Z-axis.

4. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the materials handling vehicle further comprises a picking attachment subsystem comprising the picking attachment and a time-of-flight (TOF) system;
one or more vehicular controllers of the materials handling vehicle are in communication with the picking attachment subsystem;
the picking attachment subsystem is configured to generate a target TOF depth map of a target tote; and
the one or more vehicular controllers of the materials handling vehicle executes vehicle functions to use the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner of the picking attachment subsystem to engage the target tote with the picking attachment based on the target TOF depth map.

5. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein a navigation subsystem is configured to position the materials handling vehicle such that the target tote is within a tote engagement field of view of the TOF system.

6. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein:
a navigation subsystem comprises a vision system;
the multilevel warehouse racking system comprises a target fiducial associated with the target tote; and
the navigation subsystem is configured to position the materials handling vehicle such that the target fiducial is within a field of view of the vision system.

7. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein the navigation subsystem is configured to utilize the target fiducial to position the materials handling vehicle such that the target tote is within a tote engagement field of view of the TOF system.

8. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
the mast assembly and the picking attachment are collectively configured such that movement of the picking attachment along the Z axis by the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner is supplemented by movement of the fork carriage assembly along the vertical axis Z′ by the mast assembly;
the materials handling vehicle further comprises a picking attachment subsystem comprising the picking attachment and a time-of-flight (TOF) system;
one or more vehicular controllers of the materials handling vehicle are in communication with the picking attachment subsystem;
the picking attachment subsystem is configured to generate a target TOF depth map of a target tote; and
the one or more vehicular controllers of the materials handling vehicle executes vehicle functions to use the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner of the picking attachment subsystem to engage the target tote with the picking attachment based on the target TOF depth map.

9. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fork carriage assembly comprises:
a mobile storage cart support platform defined by one or more cart lifting forks, and
an anti-rock cart engagement mechanism configured to engage a mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.

10. A materials handling vehicle comprising a mast assembly, a fork carriage assembly, and a picking attachment, wherein:
the mast assembly is configured to move the fork carriage assembly along a vertical axis Z′;
the picking attachment is secured to the fork carriage assembly and comprises an X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner wherein the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner comprises a rotational Ψ positioner configured to rotate independent of the fork carriage assembly about a Z-axis that is parallel to the vertical axis Z′; and
the fork carriage assembly comprises a mobile storage cart support platform defined by one or more cart lifting forks and
an anti-rock cart engagement mechanism configured to engage a mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.

11. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein the materials handling vehicle further comprises a cart engagement subsystem, and one or more vehicular controllers of the materials handling vehicle are in communication with the cart engagement subsystem and execute vehicle functions to use the cart engagement subsystem to engage the mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks with the one or more cart lifting forks and the anti-rock cart engagement mechanism of the fork carriage assembly.

12. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein the anti-rock cart engagement mechanism is configured to engage the mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.

13. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein the anti-rock cart engagement mechanism comprises a pair of support arms configured to engage a pair of support arm engagement features disposed at and extending from a top end of the mobile storage cart supported by the cart lifting forks.

14. The materials handling vehicle as claimed in claim 13 wherein:
each support arm comprises a hook defining a notch and downwardly extending from a distal portion of the support arm;
each support arm engagement feature comprises a horizontal lip and a vertical prong;
the horizontal lip is configured to be supported on the distal portion of the support arm; and
the vertical prong is configured to be received and supported by the notch in the hook.

15. A materials handling vehicle comprising a mast assembly, a fork carriage assembly, and a picking attachment, wherein:
the mast assembly is configured to move the fork carriage assembly along a vertical axis Z′;
the picking attachment is secured to the fork carriage assembly and comprises an X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner, wherein the X-Y-Z-Ψ positioner comprise

Assignees

• Crown Equip Corp

Inventors

• Otto Matthew J
• Garmann Gregory S
• Addison Mark E

Classifications

• G05D1/2247

  providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras · CPC title

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D2105/28

  of freight · CPC title

• G05D2107/70

  Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories · CPC title

• B66F9/12

  Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members · CPC title