A fire protection door in an open position is present above a traveling path of a transport vehicle. The fire protection door is capable of moving downward from the open position to a closed position along a door trajectory. The transport vehicle includes: a control portion; an area detection portion that detects an interference area, which is an area in which a portion of the transport vehicle in the traveling path overlaps the door trajectory; and a descent detection portion that detects a descent of the fire protection door. The control portion performs a retraction control such that the transport vehicle travels to the outside of the interference area when the descent detection portion has detected a descent of the fire protection door in a state in which the transport vehicle is located in the interference area.

A storage system is described where goods are stored in containers and the containers are stored in stacks. Above the stacks runs a grid network of tracks on which load handling devices run. The load handling devices take containers from the stacks and deposit then at alternative locations in the stacks or deposit then at stations where goods may be picked out. The framework may be provided with one or more of the following services: power, power control, heating, lighting, cooling, sensing, and data logging. A method of partitioning the storage system prevents the spread of fire or prevent damage caused by sprinkler activation.

Systems and methods of the invention relate to managing an inventory of items within a storage container. A storage container can house one or more items for distribution among one or more users such as, for instance, employees. The storage container discussed herein provides authentication of a user, tracking of the inventory each user removes or returns, video/image capture of user during access of the storage container, wireless tracking of items housed within the storage container, among others.

A system and method for handling shipping containers is described. The container handling system comprises a crane, the crane comprising crane load handling devices. The container handling system further comprises conveyance means, the conveyance means further comprising transversal load handling devices. The system further comprises storage and sortation means for storing the containers in a series of stacks disposed beneath a grid, the grid comprising a series of load handling devices operable thereon. The crane load handling device removes a container from a ship, transports it to transversal load handling means operable on a conveyor. The container is moved on the conveyor to a transfer point where it is collected by a robotic load handling device for transport to the storage and sortation area.

An exemplary robotic parking device of the present disclosure includes a number of stacks of containers. The stacks being positioned within a frame structure including uprights and a horizontal grid disposed above the stacks. The grid having substantially perpendicular rails on which load handling devices can run. Cars or vehicles are positioned in containers and are moved into and out of the stacks by the robotic handling devices running on the grid. The cars are put into the grid at entry points that may be positioned at points under the stacks.

Enclosure assemblies for managing air flow. Such assemblies include an enclosure and at least one inclined pathway in contact with the enclosure, each pathway including a pair of side wall portions and a top wall portion that collectively extend between spaced apart openings to define an air mass. One opening having a lower boundary and the other opening having an upper boundary, with the lower boundary being at an elevation higher than that of the upper boundary, such that when a temperature differential exists within a given pathway, warmer air will be trapped in an upper portion of the air mass and above the upper boundary, thereby impeding air flow from the enclosure.

A storage system includes a plurality of grid members arranged in a grid pattern to form a grid structure including a plurality of grid cells. The storage system includes one or more stacks of storage containers and each stack is vertically located below a respective grid cell. Each storage container in the stack is made of a material containing thermoplastic and a fire retardant agent. The storage system includes one or more load handling devices including a grabber device operative to move on the grid structure to releasably grab one or more of the storage containers from each stack in the storage system.

A robotic parking device is described. The device includes a number of stacks of containers as shown in FIG. 3, the stacks being positioned within a frame structure including uprights and a horizontal grid disposed above the stacks, the grid having substantially perpendicular rails on which load handling devices can run. Cars or vehicles are positioned in containers that are moved in to and out of the stacks by the robotic handling devices running on the grid. The cars are put in to the grid at entry points that may be positioned at points under the stacks.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting aggregates or similar, comprising a conveyor belt for aggregates or similar and actuating means actuating advancement of said conveyor belt. According to the invention, the apparatus comprises a plurality of thermal cameras positioned along the development of said conveyor belt and configured to detect the temperature of said conveyor belt in a plurality of detection positions positioned along said development of the conveyor belt. The apparatus further comprises a processing and control unit communicating data with each one of thermal cameras of said plurality of thermal cameras to receive input temperature data detected by each thermal camera. The processing and control unit is configured to estimate the extent and origin position of an overheating phenomenon of the conveyor belt on the basis of the temperature detected in correspondence of at least two detection positions of said plurality of detection positions.

A system and method for handling shipping containers is described. The container handling system includes a crane, the crane having crane load handling devices. The container handling system includes a conveyance device, the conveyance device including transversal load handling devices. The system provides storage and sortation for storing the containers in a series of stacks disposed beneath a grid, the grid having a series of load handling devices operable thereon. The crane load handling device removes a container from a ship, transports it to transversal load handling device operable on a conveyor. The container is moved on the conveyor to a transfer point where it is collected by a robotic load handling device for transport to the storage and sortation area.