Container accessing station with lifting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12195053-B2
Application number	US-202318488799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2023
Priority date	Jun 12, 2018
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A container accessing station for accessing a storage container of an automated storage and retrieval grid. The container accessing station comprising:
an access opening through which a human and/or robot may access contents of the storage container; a base opening; and a lifting device arranged to retrieve the storage container from a first level beneath the base opening and lift it up through the base opening to a second level so that the storage container may be accessed through the access opening.

The invention is also directed to a container accessing system and a method thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automated storage and retrieval system comprising:
an automated storage and retrieval grid configured to guide a movement of a container handling vehicle that transports a storage container within the automated storage and retrieval system, the automated storage and retrieval grid being formed by a first set of parallel rails extending in a first horizontal plane and a second set of parallel rails extending orthogonal to the first set of parallel rails in the first horizontal plane such that the first set of parallel rails and the second set of parallel rails form a first grid pattern in the first horizontal plane;
a delivery column configured to transport the storage container between the container handling vehicle and a delivery port positioned at a lower end of the delivery column;
a delivery rail system configured to guide a movement of a delivery vehicle, the delivery rail system being formed by a third set of parallel rails extending in a second horizontal plane and a fourth set of parallel rails extending orthogonal to the third set of parallel rails in the second horizontal plane such that the third set of parallel rails and the fourth set of parallel rails form a second grid pattern in the second horizontal plane;
a container accessing station, comprising:
an access opening configured to provide access to contents of the storage container;
a base opening disposed vertically below the access opening, and
a lifting device configured to retrieve the storage container from the delivery vehicle, and further lift the storage container through the base opening to the access opening,

wherein the delivery vehicle is configured to transport the storage container from the delivery port to a grid cell of the delivery rail system positioned vertically below the container accessing station.

2. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the lifting device extends beneath the base opening in a vertical direction that extends orthogonal to the first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane.

3. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery vehicle comprises a container carrier comprising a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls forming a volume, the volume being sized such that the container carrier contains an entire horizontal extent of the storage container and part of a vertical extent of the storage container.

4. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the lifting device further comprises a lifting frame comprising a plurality of gripper elements, driven by a gripper motor, configured to maintain a position of the storage container as the storage container is lifted with the lifting device.

5. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 4 , wherein the lifting device comprises a hoist frame configured to suspend the lifting frame in a horizontal orientation within the lifting device.

6. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 ,
wherein the container accessing station further comprises a cabinet formed by a plurality of walls extending in a vertical direction orthogonal to the first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane,
wherein the access opening of the container accessing station forms an upper part of the cabinet and the base opening forms a lower part of the cabinet, such that the storage container is only accessible by way of the access opening.

7. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 6 , wherein the container accessing station comprises a cover, supported by the plurality of walls of the cabinet, configured to be deployed and retracted to allow access to the storage container through the access opening.

8. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , wherein the cover is transparent such that the cover allows the contents of the storage container to be viewed therethrough.

9. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the first horizontal plane is vertically displaced from the second horizontal plane such that the automated storage and retrieval grid is vertically displaced from the delivery rail system.

10. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the container accessing station is vertically displaced relative to the delivery rail system, and the lifting device extends vertically between the delivery rail system and the container accessing station.

11. The automated storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the automated storage and retrieval grid is located below the container accessing station.

12. A method for accessing a storage container, the method comprising:
guiding a movement of a container handling vehicle configured to transport the storage container with an automated storage and retrieval grid, the automated storage and retrieval grid being formed by a first set of parallel rails extending in a first horizontal plane and a second set of parallel rails extending orthogonal to the first set of parallel rails in the first horizontal plane such that the first set of parallel rails and the second set of parallel rails form a first grid pattern in the first horizontal plane;
transporting the storage container, with a delivery column, between the container handling vehicle and a delivery port positioned at a lower end of the delivery column;
guiding a movement of a delivery vehicle with a delivery rail system, the delivery rail system being formed by a third set of parallel rails extending in a second horizontal plane and a fourth set of parallel rails extending orthogonal to the third set of parallel rails in the second horizontal plane such that the third set of parallel rails and the fourth set of parallel rails form a second grid pattern in the second horizontal plane;
transporting the storage container from the delivery port to a grid cell of the delivery rail system positioned vertically below a container accessing station, the container accessing station comprising an access opening, a base opening disposed vertically below the access opening, and a lifting device;
retrieving the storage container from the delivery vehicle with the lifting device;
lifting the storage container through the base opening to the access opening with the lifting device, and
providing access to contents of the storage container with the access opening of the container accessing station.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: lifting the storage container with the lifting device from beneath the base opening and in a vertical direction that extends orthogonal to the first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: sizing a volume formed by a bottom and a plurality of sidewalls of a container carrier of the delivery vehicle such that an entire horizontal extent of the storage container and part of a vertical extent of the storage container is contained within the container carrier.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: maintaining a position of the storage container as the storage container is lifted with the lifting device by way of a lifting frame comprising a plurality of gripper elements driven by a gripper motor.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: suspending the lifting frame in a horizontal orientation within the lifting device with a hoist frame of the lifting device.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: deploying and retracting a cover of the container accessing station to allow access to the storage container through the access opening.

Assignees

• Autostore Tech As

Inventors

• Austrheim Trond
• Stuhaug Ragnar

Classifications

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title

• G05D1/222

  operated by humans · CPC title

• G05D1/69

  Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/693

  for avoiding collisions between vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/249

  from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras · CPC title