Modular vertical lift system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12404104-B2
Application number	US-202318343156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Jul 6, 2021
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A conveyor carriage movable on a guide rail. The conveyor carriage includes a conveyor frame; a pair of side rails spaced apart from each other; and a load carrying portion coupled to the pair of side rails. A drop-down plate hingedly mounted to the conveyor frame and positioned in between the pair of side rails. The drop-down plate is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the drop-down plate encloses a component of the conveyor carriage in the closed position. The conveyor carriage to pick up and deposit loads from and to a load handling station. The load handling station including a control box with a pivotable lid to enclose one or more components of the load handling station in the closed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vertical lift comprising:
a vertical mast;
a conveyor carriage;
a lifting unit to guide the conveyor carriage on the vertical mast, wherein the conveyor carriage comprises:
a conveyor frame comprising a pair of side rails;
a load carrying portion coupled between the pair of side rails; and
a pair of drop-down plates hingedly mounted to the conveyor frame and positioned in between the pair of side rails, and wherein the lifting unit comprises:
at least one spreader to support the conveyor carriage; and
a set of guide rollers positions on opposing sides of the at least one spreader, wherein the guide rollers guide the conveyor carriage on the vertical mast.

2. The vertical lift of claim 1 , wherein each drop-down plate is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, and wherein each drop-down plate encloses one or more components of the conveyor carriage in the closed position.

3. The vertical lift of claim 2 , wherein each of the drop-down plate comprises wiring clamps mounted to an inner surface of the drop-down plate to route wiring of the one or more components through wiring holes provided on each side rail, and wherein the wiring is housed in between a top plate and a bottom plate attached to each side rail.

4. The vertical lift of claim 3 , wherein the conveyor frame comprises a flared side guide attached to the top plate of each side rail.

5. The vertical lift of claim 2 , wherein the drop-down plate further comprises:
a locking mechanism to lock the drop-down plate with the conveyor frame in the closed position, wherein the locking mechanism comprises spring loaded pins.

6. The vertical lift of claim 5 , wherein the pair of drop-down plates comprising:
a first drop-down plate hingedly mounted to the conveyor frame at an upstream side; and
a second drop-down plate hingedly mounted to the conveyor frame at a downstream side.

7. The vertical lift of claim 6 , wherein the locking mechanism further comprises finger rings, wherein the spring loaded pins and the finger rings are attached to an inner surface of the first drop-down plate.

8. The vertical lift of claim 2 , wherein the one or more components are attached on an inner surface of each of the pair of drop-down plates such that the components are accessible in the open position.

9. The vertical lift of claim 5 , wherein the drop-down plate is transitioned to the open position from the closed position by retracting the spring loaded pins.

10. The vertical lift of claim 1 , wherein each of the side rails comprise a cut-out to facilitate mounting of the conveyor carriage on to at least one spreader.

11. The vertical lift of claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the drop-down plate is equal to a distance between the pair of side rails.

12. The vertical lift of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor carriage further comprises at least one attachment bracket coupled at a bottom of the conveyor frame in between the pair of side rails beneath the load carrying portion, wherein each drop-down plate and the at least one attachment bracket are coupled together with a hinge mechanism.

13. The vertical lift of claim 12 , wherein the hinge mechanism is one a of a spring-hinge or a butt-hinge.

14. The vertical lift of claim 1 , wherein the load carrying portion comprises at least one of conveyor rollers or a conveyor belt or a combination thereof.

15. The vertical lift of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor carriage further comprises at least one sensor to detect presence of a load on the load carrying portion.

16. A rack storage system comprising:
a plurality of storage levels;
a load handling station positioned at each storage level;
a control box positioned adjacent the load handling station to bridge a gap between the load handling station and a guide track,
a vertical lift comprising:
a vertical mast;
a conveyor carriage;
a lifting unit to guide the conveyor carriage on the vertical mast, wherein the lifting unit comprises:
at least one spreader to support the conveyor carriage; and
a set of guide rollers positions on opposing sides of the at least one spreader, wherein the guide rollers guide the conveyor carriage on the vertical mast.

17. The rack storage system of claim 16 , wherein the control box comprises:
a lid coupled to an end of the control box, wherein the lid is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, and wherein the lid encloses one or more components of the load handling station in the closed position.

18. The rack storage system of claim 17 , wherein the lid enables smooth transition of loads between an autonomous vehicle travelling on the guide track and the load handling station in the closed position.

19. The rack storage system of claim 18 , wherein the load handling station comprises one of conveyor rollers or conveyor belts or a combination thereof to transport the loads for pick up and deposit by the autonomous vehicle.

20. The rack storage system of claim 17 , wherein an end of the lid is coupled to the control box using one of hinge joints or pivot pins or mechanical fasteners.

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Hart Benjamin
• Kramer Thomas
• Sebastian Jarl Nicholas
• Jackiewiecz Joshua
• Turco Anthony
• Li Ang
• Pahls Justen

Classifications

• B65G2203/0233

  Position of the article · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/065

  with self propelled cars · CPC title

• B65G1/04

  mechanical · CPC title

• B65G1/1378

  the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas · CPC title