Autonomous transports for storage and retrieval systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9321591-B2
Application number	US-201313860802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2013
Priority date	Apr 10, 2009
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated case unit storage system for handling case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising:
an array of multilevel storage racks having predefined storage areas at each rack level so that at least one corresponding predetermined storage area is disposed in a common level of each rack level;
a controller configured to effect dynamic allocation of case units of dissimilar sizes into dynamically allocated and sized storage areas of the at least one corresponding storage area on each rack level in the array of multilevel storage racks; and
an independent autonomous transport vehicle operatively connected to the controller, the independent autonomous transport vehicle being configured for independently traversing an aisle or deck within one level of the multilevel storage racks and for transferring the case units to or from the predefined storage areas, the independent autonomous transport vehicle including
an independent frame,
a support shelf adapted for holding at least one case unit thereon, the support shelf being movably connected to the independent frame so that the support shelf is movable between extended and retracted positions,
a drive system mounted to the independent frame, and
guiding devices mounted to the independent frame;
where the independent autonomous transport vehicle is configured to effect dynamic allocation of case units of dissimilar sizes into the dynamically allocated storage areas so that a mix of the dissimilarly sized case units are each disposed by the autonomous transport vehicle into corresponding dissimilarly sized storage areas of the dynamically allocated storage areas of the common level of the at least one corresponding storage area of each rack level of the multilevel storage racks in the array of the multilevel storage racks.

2. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic allocation of case units comprises the independent autonomous transport vehicle being configured to stop at a dynamically determined position along picking aisles of the array of multilevel storage racks for aligning at least a portion of the support shelf with a case unit or empty space located in the array of multilevel storage racks for effecting a transfer of at least one case unit between the support shelf and a storage area corresponding to one of the case unit or empty space.

3. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1 , wherein the array of multilevel storage racks comprise a floor having tracked transport areas for guiding the independent autonomous transport vehicle through tracked and un-tracked transport areas, the independent autonomous transport vehicle being configured to transition between the tracked transport areas and the un-tracked transport areas, the guiding devices including at least one sensor configured to sense at least one feature of the un-tracked transport areas for contactlessly guiding the independent autonomous transport vehicle in the un-tracked transport areas.

4. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined storage areas include slatted storage shelves having raised support surfaces separated by open channels, the guiding devices including sensors for detecting the raised support surfaces for locating the independent autonomous transport vehicle within the array of multilevel storage racks and effecting dynamic allocation of the case units in the predefined storage areas.

5. The automated case unit storage system of claim 4 , wherein the support shelf includes extendable fingers configured to pass into the open channels for removing and placing case units on the slatted storage shelves.

6. The automated case unit storage system of claim 4 , wherein the independent autonomous transport vehicle includes a lifting device for lifting and lowering the support shelf for transferring case units to or from the slatted storage shelves.

7. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1 , wherein the independent frame has a first end and a second end, the independent autonomous transport vehicle further include a pair of individually operable drive wheels disposed at the first end and driven by the drive system and a pair of idler wheels disposed at the second end.

8. The automated case unit storage system of claim 7 , wherein the independent autonomous transport vehicle further includes at least one caster disposed on the second end, the at least one caster being configured for extension and retraction, where extension of the caster raises the idler wheels off of a floor surface for allowing the independent autonomous transport vehicle to pivot about the drive wheels on the at least one caster.

9. The automated case unit storage system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substantially continuous lift configured to transport case units to predetermined levels of the array of multilevel storage racks, the substantially continuous lift comprising slatted transport shelves adapted for holding case units thereon, the independent autonomous transport vehicle being configured to directly or indirectly place or remove case units from the transport shelves of the substantially continuous lift.

Assignees

• Symbotic Llc

Inventors

• Lert John
• Toebes Stephen
• Sullivan Robert
• Hinshaw Foster D
• Ulrich Nathan

Classifications

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/1373 Primary

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B65G1/065

  with self propelled cars · CPC title