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.

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 robotic shuttle system includes a rack system and one or more shuttles. The rack system includes a rack and a shuttle frame. The rack has storage locations for containers containing items. The shuttle frame has rails disposed along the rack. The shuttle includes a powertrain, container transfer mechanism, and a robot arm. The power train is configured to move the shuttle along the rails of the rack and on a surface outside of the rack system. The container transfer mechanism is configured to transfer the containers between the rack and the shuttle. The robot arm extends from the shuttle to transfer the items between one of the containers on the shuttle and a container in a container holder of the shuttle.

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.

The present invention relates to a support vehicle (20) for performing support operations in an automated storage and retrieval system (1). It comprises a vehicle body (21). It comprises a drive system (40) comprising wheels (42, 44) provided in a lower part of the vehicle body (21), where the drive system (40) being configured to drive the support vehicle (20) along a track system (108) of the automated storage and retrieval system (1). It comprises a connection system (30) provided on a first side (20a) of the support vehicle (20). The connection system (30) comprises a connector member (31) protruding through a aperture (22) of the vehicle body (21). The connection system (30) comprises an actuator (34) for moving the connector member (31) in the aperture (22) in relation to the vehicle body (21). The present invention also relates to an automated storage and retrieval system (1).

An article storage facility is disclosed that is capable of performing an appropriate transport operation on a container group even when a container group that includes a plurality of containers in a stacked state is placed on a placement surface in an inclined state. The control device performs inclination computation processing to obtain a placement inclination θ that is an inclination of a container group Cg placed on a placement surface F relative to a Z direction, based on coordinate information, bottom surface dimension information, and container group position information that are stored in a storage unit, and individual position computation processing to obtain individual position information that indicates a position, in X and Y directions, of each of the containers C in the tiers included in the container group Cg, based on the container group position information, the placement inclination θ, and the height dimension information, and controls a movement mechanism based on the individual position information.

A rail mounted transport robot with a lifting device, which is disposed in a recess of the transport robot such that it can be raised and lowered vertically and is suitable for receiving a load, wherein the lifting device is a powered loading platform that can be raised and lowered, with at least one longitudinal conveyor is disclosed.

A method of fulfilling orders of goods of mixed packs and single packs of the same type. The goods are first stored as single packs of the same type and all of the goods allocated to an order are removed from a specified order storage rack aisle of a storage rack. Goods present in the storage racks required for the order that are not present within the specified order storage rack aisle are transferred into the order storage rack aisle from another storage rack aisle by a transverse transport process. A mixed pack for the order is generated by picking from packs of the same type, and a picking station is supplied with corresponding packs of the same type from the same storage racks, and the mixed pack is stored into the order storage rack aisle. The order, comprising single packs of the same type and mixed packs, is removed from the specified order storage rack aisle.

An overhead transport vehicle includes a traveling body that travels on a track on a ceiling of a facility, an upper mast attached to a lower side of the traveling body and including an upper guide, an elevation platform on which an article is placed, and which is guided by the upper guide to ascend or descend along the upper mast, and a lift driver that is provided on the traveling body or on the elevation platform and that drives the elevation platform to ascend or descend. A lower mast is connected to the lower end of the upper mast via a connector in a freely detachable manner and includes a lower guide extending to the upper guide. The elevation platform is able to be lowered along the lower mast from the upper mast by the lift driver.

A device for automatically handling storage units includes a support frame, at least one lifting unit, a gripper device configured to grip, convey, and discharge at least one storage unit, and at least one height adjustment device to which the gripper device is connected and is configured to be moved in the inner space of the support frame therewith. A storage arrangement which is configured to be charged from below for at least one storage unit is arranged above the gripper device so that the same support frame is configured by the lifting unit to convey and to store, by the storage arrangement, at least one storage unit. A method includes automatic handling of storage units via the device.