A storage system including a storage grid including vertical column profiles defining a plurality of grid columns. The grid columns include storage columns, in which storage containers can be stored one on top of another in vertical stacks. The storage grid including at least one rail grid at the upper ends of the column profiles, and a first container handling vehicle and a second container handling vehicle. The first and the second container handling vehicles each include at least one wheel base unit and a first container handling module or a second container handling module. Each wheel base unit having a wheel arrangement for movement of the wheel base unit in two perpendicular directions upon a rail grid of the storage system. The first container handling module is a different type of container handling module to the second container handling module.

A stack storage assembly with container stacking spaces, a charging space arranged below the container stacking spaces, and a charging vehicle movable in the charging space having a hoisting device to move a container into or out of a container stacking space. Each of the container stacking spaces has, at a lower end, a retaining device with at least one retaining element, which is movable, via an actuating device arranged on the charging vehicle, between a retaining position in which the at least one retaining element holds the container arranged in the container stacking spaces and a release position in which the container is relocated past the retaining element. The charging vehicle has at least one fixing element positionable into a fixing position to interact with the at least one retaining element located in the release position, and to hold the at least one retaining element in the release position.

A storage system includes an overhead stocker including an overhead crane track shelving in which tiers of storages to accommodate articles therein are arranged vertically, and a crane to travel along the overhead crane track and transfer an article between the tiers of storages, an overhead transport vehicle system to perform receiving or delivering of an article from or to a predetermined transfer destination, and a transporter to vertically transport an article between the overhead stocker and the overhead transport vehicle system, the overhead transport vehicle system being provided below a lower end of the overhead stocker.

A sequencing system and a robotic storage and picking system include a plurality of containers disposed in stacks beneath a grid having a first set of tracks and second set of tracks, the first and second sets of tracks being disposed substantially perpendicular to each other. Plural load handling devices are operable on the grid, the load handling devices lifting and depositing containers from and to the stacks. The load handling devices can deposit containers on to conveyor belts into predetermined positions, the positions being fillable in any random order and multiple positions being fillable at any one time.

The present invention discloses a rack used in an automated storage and retrieval system, comprising uprights and one or more pallet bracket floors, wherein each pallet bracket floor comprises a pair of pallet beams; the pallet beam is detachably mounted on the upright and is set to be capable of allowing a pallet to be placed thereon; and a horizontal spacing between the pair of pallet beams is set to be capable of allowing a pallet fork of an automated guided vehicle to pass in a vertical direction.

A system for an automated storage includes store blocks, in each of which store blocks there is at least one transverse aisle extending through the store block. In addition, in a store block there are several store aisles diverging from the transverse aisle. The system includes, in each store block, at least one parent car arranged to operate in the transverse aisle of the store block. In addition, the system includes one or more transfer cars arranged to operate across the store blocks on the store aisles arranged end-to-end in the parallel store blocks. The system further includes at least one shuttle arranged to operate in the store aisles.

A storage setup and method for robotic delivery and retrieval of crates from shelving blocks are disclosed. At least one shelving block in the setup comprises non-uniformly spaced apart storage surfaces. The storage surfaces are accessible to lift-robots through a network of tracks comprising intersecting vertically and horizontally oriented tracks. A computerized control system is configured to differentiate between storage locations based on which crate sizes from at least two different ranges of crate sizes a storage location can store. The storage may be automatically optimized by routing robots to store crates in storage locations sized in correlation with the size of the crate to be stored.

A sequencing system and a robotic storage and picking system include a plurality of containers disposed in stacks beneath a grid having a first set of tracks and second set of tracks, the first and second sets of tracks being disposed substantially perpendicular to each other. Plural load handling devices are operable on the grid, the load handling devices lifting and depositing containers from and to the stacks. The load handling devices can deposit containers on to conveyor belts into predetermined positions, the positions being fillable in any random order and multiple positions being fillable at any one time.

The present invention is to provide a solution of high density storage and goods-to-man picking by proposing a three dimensional warehouse system for accurate inbound and outbound operation and management and improved space utilization rate of the warehouse. The technical solution includes a rack, containers, carrier vehicles, and track-switching devices. The rack includes a track structure and defines at least one load-bearing platform. The track structure includes running tracks, and the at least one load-bearing platform located below the running track. Each container stores goods, and part of the containers are stacked and placed on the at least one load-bearing platform. The carrier vehicle moves back and forth on the running tracks to perform storage and retrieval operations in the container storage system. The track-switching device is configured to switch the carrier vehicle from a current running track where the carrier vehicle is located to a target running track.

A vehicle for moving a container containing a hoisting device for hoisting the container from a first position, to hold it in a stored position at the bottom side of the vehicle and to lower the container from the stored position to the second position; a frame supporting the hoisting device; a first guide and second guide attached for guiding the vehicle along a first path in a first horizontal direction, and along a second path in a second horizontal direction transverse to the first direction; wherein the vehicle is arranged to run, in a first mode, along the first path if the first guide engages with the first path and the second guide is spaced apart from the second path, and, in a second mode, along the second path if the second guide engages with the second path and the first guide is spaced apart from the first path.