An order fulfillment system is disclosed including a multi-level tote storage structure, one or more autonomous mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote; one or more workstations configured to accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a “put” location, wherein the autonomous mobile robots are configured to move from level to level in the order fulfillment apparatus.

A temporary storage system has a large capacity and loads and unloads articles promptly. The temporary storage system includes a grid-shaped travelling rail and buffers over processing equipment except for an area over a load port, and local vehicles travel along the rail. The carriage of the local vehicles is provided with at least a longitudinal travelling unit, at least a lateral travelling unit, and at least an advancement and retraction mechanism selectively advancing one of the longitudinal travelling unit and the lateral travelling unit to a position supported by the travelling rail, and travels along the travelling rail longitudinally and laterally, and the transfer unit of the local vehicles is provided with a hoist and an arm moving the hoist horizontally. The local vehicles stop at a position corresponding to the load port, advances the arm towards the load port, and transfers an article between the load port.

A storage facility includes a storage space, a container handling vehicle, a first upper vehicle support, a first lower vehicle support, a container delivery vehicle, a transit space, and a first separation wall. The storage space encloses a storage and retrieval system including a storage grid configured to store a plurality of storage containers in vertical stacks. The first upper vehicle support extends in an upper horizontal plane above the storage grid. The container handling vehicle is configured: to transport at least one of the plurality of storage containers by a wheel arrangement between at least two locations on the first upper vehicle support; and to vertically displace the at least one storage container by a lifting device. The first lower vehicle support extends in a lower horizontal plane below the first upper vehicle support. The container delivery vehicle operates within a lower section of the storage space above the first lower vehicle support. The container delivery vehicle is configured to receive the at least one storage container from the container handling vehicle and to transport the at least one storage container between at least two locations on the first lower vehicle support by a wheel arrangement. The transit space includes a second lower vehicle support extending in the lower horizontal plane and arranged relative to the first lower vehicle support such that the container delivery vehicle may move between the lower section of the storage space and a lower section of the transit space. The first separation wall separates the storage space and the transit space. The first separation wall includes: a first lower opening sized and positioned to allow the container delivery vehicle to pass through between the lower section of the storage space and the lower section of the transit space; and a first lower closable gate configured to open and close the first lower opening.

An automatic dense warehouse apparatus includes a rack and a number of goods containers supported on the rack. The rack defines at least one fixed goods-picking location. Each of the goods containers is supported on the rack for movement relative to the rack, and the goods-picking location is defined on a movement path of the goods containers.

A storage system includes at least one consolidation vehicle, a transfer rail grid, an item picking area, and an item delivery station. The consolidation vehicle includes a wheel arrangement for moving the consolidation vehicle in two perpendicular directions upon the transfer rail grid. The consolidation vehicle may be positioned upon the item picking area to receive multiple items picked from at least one storage container, and an item picker is arranged to pick items from the storage container and transfer them to the consolidation vehicle. The consolidation vehicle may be positioned upon the item delivery station to deliver items received from the storage container to a packaging/processing assembly. The consolidation vehicle includes an item carrier arranged such that items may be emptied from the item carrier when the consolidation vehicle is positioned at the item delivery station.

A system and method for storage and retrieval are provided. The system includes a multi-level storage structure, and mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote, container, or object. This system and method can be used in order-fulfillment applications in which one or more workstations accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a put location, and an input/output interface induct material into the system and discharge fulfilled orders from the system. The mobile robots are further configured to move from level to level in the multi-level storage structure via inclined or vertical tracks without requiring a vertical lift or vertical conveyor.

A bin holding device includes two vertical side elements spaced to accommodate a storage bin between the two vertical side elements. Each side element is provided with a bin supporting assembly including a bin support and an actuator. The bin support includes an upper bin interacting part arranged to interact with the storage bin when the storage bin is accommodated in the bin holding device, such that a top edge of the accommodated storage bin is held at a predetermined level. The actuator is operably connected to the bin support and includes a lower bin interacting part arranged to interact with the storage bin during introduction of the storage bin into the bin holding device in a downward vertical direction, such that the upper bin interacting part is moved to interact with the storage bin.

A container accessing station for accessing a storage container of an automated storage and retrieval system includes a housing and a vehicle lift. The housing includes an access opening, and a base opening. A human and/or robot may access contents of the storage container through the access opening. The storage container can enter the container accessing station to be presented at the access opening through the base opening. The vehicle lift is arranged to lift a delivery vehicle carrying the storage container on an upper surface of the delivery vehicle from a pickup level below the base opening up to an accessing level where the storage container is presented to be accessed through the access opening by the human and/or robot while the storage container is still being carried by the delivery vehicle.

The present invention relates to automated storage and retrieval system comprising: a track system comprising a first set of parallel tracks arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel tracks arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, which first and second sets of tracks form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane comprising a plurality of adjacent grid cells, each comprising a grid opening defined by a pair of adjacent tracks of the first set of tracks and a pair of adjacent tracks of the second set of tracks; a plurality of stacks of storage containers arranged in storage columns located beneath the track system, wherein each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening; a plurality of container handling vehicles for lifting and moving storage containers stacked in the stacks, the container handling vehicles being configured to move laterally on the track system above the storage columns to access the storage containers via the grid openings, wherein each of the plurality of container handling vehicles has a footprint with a horizontal extension which is equal to or less than the horizontal extension of a grid cell and comprises: a wheel assembly for guiding the container handling vehicle along the track system and a container-receiving storage space arranged within the footprint of the container handling vehicle for accommodating a storage container. Each container handling vehicle comprises a protruding section which extends horizontally beyond the footprint of the container handling vehicle and, when the container handling vehicle is positioned above a grid cell, into a neighbouring grid cell.

The present invention also relates to a container handling vehicle for such an automated storage and retrieval system.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for automated item sortation and container handling. In one embodiment, an example method may include determining, by a controller, a first item identifier of a first item at an induction portion of a sortation system, determining an order identifier associated with the first item identifier, and determining a first container associated with the order identifier. The method may include causing a first mobile carrier unit to receive the item, and causing the first mobile carrier unit to deliver the first item to the first container.