An automated warehouse system and method are provided for controlling internal microclimates of totes within a warehouse or order fulfilment facility. The system provides independent environmental condition monitoring and regulation for each tote. The system enables individual totes to be maintained at adequate or substantially ideal conditions, independent of its position within a storage system or the environmental conditions of adjacent totes. The storage system includes environmental control inputs at individual storage locations to adjust or maintain environmental conditions within a tote at a particular storage location. The totes engage the environmental control inputs when they are stored at a storage location. The system may utilize standard or commercially available totes. The system is operable to monitor and control the microclimate of a tote while it is stored at a storage location and may be operable to monitor the totes while they travel throughout the system.

An elastic strap anchor assembly 240 including hook portion 250 and cover portion 260. Hook portion 250 includes a plurality of hooks, such as hooks 251A, 251B, 251C, 251D, a plurality of flexing holes, such as flexing holes 252A, 252B, a plurality of clips, such as clips 253A, 253B, a plurality of guide posts, such as guide posts 254A, 254B, and tab portion 255. Cover portion 260 includes a plurality of clip portions, such as clip portions 263A, 263B, a plurality of elastic grips, such as elastic grips 264A, 264B, 264C, a plurality of rigid grips or pins, such as rigid grips 265A, 265B, and a plurality of guide holes, such as guide holes 266A, 266B.

A protective barrier includes a first end post including a first plastic outer cover, the first plastic outer cover including a first opening with a first pin-receiving socket formed therein, a second end post including a second plastic outer cover, the second plastic outer cover including a second opening with a second pin-receiving socket formed therein, a first hollow plastic rail including a first end disposed in the first opening of the first end post such that a first through hole in the first end is aligned with the first pin-receiving socket, and a second end disposed in the second opening of the second end post such that a second through hole in the second end is aligned with the second pin-receiving socket, a first pin extending through the first through hole in the first end of the hollow plastic rail, the first pin having a proximal end disposed in the first pin-receiving socket and a distal end disposed in a third pin-receiving socket, and a second pin extending through the second through hole in the second end of the hollow plastic rail, the second pin having a proximal end disposed in the second pin-receiving socket and a distal end disposed in a fourth pin-receiving socket.

An alignment tool that is easy to use during the installation and fastening of storage rack is disclosed herein. The alignment tool comprises a first end having a conical shape and a second end defining an opening therein, and the opening extending into said cylindrical body along the longitudinal axis. Once the storage rack is installed, the alignment tool can be easily removed with a removal tool through a hole in the alignment tool.

An industrial cart or rack loading/unloading and switcher system and method for operation thereof. The switcher system comprises a base member having a loading end and an operator end; a first carriage for carrying a bin, said first carriage being operatively coupled to said base member and configured to move between said loading end and said operator end; a second carriage for carrying another bin; a bypass mechanism configured to support said second carriage and said other bin; said bypass mechanism being operatively coupled to said base member and configured to move between said loading end and said operator end; said bypass mechanism being further configured to operate in a bypass mode, and in said bypass mode said bypass mechanism being operable to permit movement of said first carriage and said bin between said loading end and said operator end.

A cage can be positioned around a medical balloon, such as an angioplasty balloon, to assist in a medical procedure. The cage can include a plurality of strips, each extending between a set of rings including first and second rings. As the balloon expands, the first and second rings move closer together and allow the strips to expand outward. The cage may have wedge dissectors on the strips.

A cage can be positioned around a medical balloon, such as an angioplasty balloon, to assist in a medical procedure. The cage can include a plurality of strips, each extending between a set of rings including first and second rings. As the balloon expands, the first and second rings move closer together and allow the strips to expand outward. The cage may have wedge dissectors on the strips.

The present disclosure provides a buffer device for temporarily storing an article container for containing an article to be picked up, including: a placing unit on which the article container is placed and which is configured to transport the placed article container in a direction away from a pick-up area; a supply unit which supplies the article container from the pick-up area to an end area on a side of the placing unit close to the pick-up area; a movable carriage unit which is configured to travel in a transport direction of the article container in the placing unit and which allows the article container to be placed; and a transfer device which transfers the article container at least between the placing unit and the movable carriage unit.

There is provided a container maneuvering apparatus arranged to provide an interface between a container-conveying system and a container-storage system. More specifically, there is disclosed a container maneuvering apparatus arranged to load/unload a container into/from a carriage. Optionally, the carriage is a Magway carriage. The carriage can be made stationary before loading/unloading the container by the container-conveying system. The carriage and container can match velocities so that both are moving, but at the same velocity, whilst loading/unloading operations are performed by the container maneuvering apparatus.

A stocker includes a wall that separates an inside and an outside of the stocker, a storage area on an inner side of the wall and in which articles are stored, a fan on the wall to draw in outside air and introduce the outside air into the inside of the stocker, a control panel storage provided on the inner side of the wall and laterally to the storage area to store a control panel, a first thermal insulation layer on a wall side of the control panel storage, and a second thermal insulation layer on a storage area side of the control panel storage.