Cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428461-B2
Application number	US-202016914989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2020
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus includes a high side heat exchanger, a load, a compressor, a belt, a first bin, a second bin, and a controller. The high side heat exchanger removes heat from a refrigerant. The load uses the refrigerant to cool an enclosed space. The compressor compresses the refrigerant. The first and second bins are coupled to the belt and positioned within the enclosed space. The controller receives a first message, determines that the first bin should be selected, and cycles the belt to move the first bin to a retrieval location within the enclosed space. The controller also receives a second message, determines that the second bin should be selected, and cycles the belt to move the second bin to the retrieval location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a belt positioned within an enclosed space cooled by a refrigerant;
a first bin coupled to the belt and positioned within the enclosed space;
a second bin coupled to the belt and positioned within the enclosed space; and
a controller configured to:
receive a first message;
determine based on the first message that the first bin should be selected;
in response to determining that the first bin should be selected, cycle the belt to move the first bin to a retrieval location within the enclosed space;
receive a second message;
determine based on the second message that the second bin should be selected; and
in response to determining that the second bin should be selected, cycle the belt to move the second bin to the retrieval location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a hook coupled to the belt, the controller further configured to:
receive a third message;
determine based on the third message that the hook should be selected; and
in response to determining that the hook should be selected, cycle the belt to move the hook to the retrieval location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the belt is positioned above the first and second bins.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a wheel positioned within the enclosed space, the controller further configured to rotate the wheel to cycle the belt.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second belt positioned within a second enclosed space cooled by a refrigerant;
a third bin coupled to the second belt and positioned within the second enclosed space; and
a fourth bin coupled to the second belt and positioned within the second enclosed space.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a scanner configured to scan a code, the message comprising the code, the code assigned to the first bin, the controller further configured to determine that the first bin should be selected based on the code.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first doorway and a second doorway.

8. A method comprising:
receiving, by a controller, a first message;
determining based on the first message that a first bin within an enclosed space should be selected, wherein the enclosed space is cooled by a refrigerant;
in response to determining that the first bin should be selected, cycling a belt coupled to the first bin to move the first bin to a retrieval location within the enclosed space, the belt positioned within the enclosed space;
receiving, by the controller, a second message;
determining based on the second message that a second bin within the enclosed space should be selected; and
in response to determining that the second bin should be selected, cycling the belt to move the second bin to the retrieval location.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, by the controller, a third message;
determining based on the third message that a hook coupled to the belt should be selected; and
in response to determining that the hook should be selected, cycling the belt to move the hook to the retrieval location.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the belt is positioned above the first and second bins.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising rotating a wheel positioned within the enclosed space to cycle the belt.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising cooling a second enclosed space using a refrigerant, wherein the second enclosed space is separate from the first enclosed space, and a second belt, a third bin, and a fourth bin are positioned within the second enclosed space.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
scanning a code, the message comprising the code, the code assigned to the first bin; and
determining that the first bin should be selected based on the code.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
opening a first doorway to load the first bin; and
opening a second doorway separate from the first doorway to unload the first bin.

15. A system comprising:
an enclosed space cooled by a refrigerant;
a belt positioned within the enclosed space;
a first bin coupled to the belt and positioned within the enclosed space;
a second bin coupled to the belt and positioned within the enclosed space; and
a controller configured to:
receive a first message;
determine based on the first message that the first bin should be selected;
in response to determining that the first bin should be selected, cycle the belt to move the first bin to a retrieval location within the enclosed space;
receive a second message;
determine based on the second message that the second bin should be selected; and
in response to determining that the second bin should be selected, cycle the belt to move the second bin to the retrieval location.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a hook coupled to the belt, the controller further configured to:
receive a third message;
determine based on the third message that the hook should be selected; and
in response to determining that the hook should be selected, cycle the belt to move the hook to the retrieval location.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the belt is positioned above the first and second bins.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a wheel positioned within the enclosed space, the controller further configured to rotate the wheel to cycle the belt.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a second enclosed space that is separate from the first enclosed space and cooled by a refrigerant;
a second belt positioned within the second enclosed space;
a third bin coupled to the second belt and positioned within the second enclosed space; and
a fourth bin coupled to the second belt and positioned within the second enclosed space.

20. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a scanner configured to scan a code, the message comprising the code, the code assigned to the first bin, the controller further configured to determine that the first bin should be selected based on the code.

Assignees

• Heatcraft Refrigeration Products Llc

Inventors

• Douglas Jonathan David
• Parker Kristal Chante
• Wise Richard Carl

Classifications

• G06K7/10861

  sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels (postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48) · CPC title

• F25D13/06

  with conveyors carrying articles to be cooled through the cooling space · CPC title

• F25B1/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle (F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47F3/04 Primary

  air-conditioned, refrigerated (refrigerators F25D; heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84) · CPC title

• F25D25/04 Primary

  by conveyors (in general B65G) · CPC title