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.

A storage assembly having a substantially parallelepipedal first storage rack and a second substantially parallelepipedal storage rack, a front transverse face of the first storage rack and a second rear transverse face of the second storage rack being connected to each other by at least one horizontal bracing structure.

A travel body includes a wheel drive source for driving a drive wheel, a support arm swingable relative to a travel body section and supporting the drive wheel and the wheel drive source, a swing support attached to the travel body section and supporting the swing fulcrum of the support arm, and an elastic unit. The swing support is detachably attached to the travel body section. The elastic unit includes an abutting section that abuts, from a second side in the swing direction, a target spot located away from the swing fulcrum of the support arm, and an elastic section that biases the abutting section abutting the support arm toward a first side in the swing direction.

A storage system includes an overhead stocker having a first overhead track, a rack including a plurality of storages arranged vertically, and a crane that travels along the first overhead track and delivers and receives an article to and from the storages; and an overhead transport vehicle system having a second overhead track provided below a lower end of the overhead stocker, and an overhead transport vehicle that travels along the second overhead track and delivers and receives an article to and from a predetermined transfer destination, wherein the first overhead track has an elevating track capable of supporting and lowering the crane that is stopped traveling at a portion deviated from the second overhead track in planar view.

An article storage facility includes: storage compartments, each including a first storage spot configured to store a first article; and a second storage spot configured to store the first article; a first transportation mechanism including a first support configured to support and transport the first article, the first transportation mechanism being configured to transport the first article between: each one of the first and the second storage spots; and a first support spot where the first article is supported by the first support; a second transportation mechanism including a second support configured to support and transport the first article, the second transportation mechanism being configured to transport the first article between: each one of the first and the second storage spots; and a second support spot where the first article is supported by the second support; and a controller configured to control transportation of the first article.

Utilities (e.g., systems, apparatuses, methods) that reduce robotic assembly contention in media element storage libraries by translating (e.g., displacing) a robot arm of a first robotic assembly mounted over a first storage array of a storage library away from a central reference plane as the robot arm is being pivoted into a first position adjacent the first storage array to allow a robot arm of a second robotic assembly to slide or otherwise move past the robot arm of the first robotic assembly, even when the robot arms of the first and second robot arms are disposed at the same height (e.g., along a z-axis) within the storage library. For instance, a pivot member of the robot arm may be mounted on a carriage that is configured to translate between the first and second storage arrays in response to the pivot member being pivoted about a pivot axis.

A storage system includes an overhead stocker having a first overhead track, a rack including a plurality of storages arranged vertically, and a crane that travels along the first overhead track and delivers and receives an article to and from the storages; and an overhead transport vehicle system having a second overhead track provided below a lower end of the overhead stocker, and an overhead transport vehicle that travels along the second overhead track and delivers and receives an article to and from a predetermined transfer destination, wherein the first overhead track has an elevating track capable of supporting and lowering the crane that is stopped traveling at a portion deviated from the second overhead track in planar view.

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.

A storage facility having storage racks and aisles, with storage and removal apparatuses for each aisle. Transportation units are placed into and removed from racks via the storage/removal apparatus and a direct horizontal exchange of units takes place between adjacent aisles via exchange locations within the racks, where the storage/removal apparatus itself actively horizontally moves the units in the exchange locations. Each storage/removal apparatus has a vertical operating range for servicing more than one rack level and each aisle has enough storage/removal apparatuses to access all rack levels of an aisle. The vertical operating/service level of each storage and removal apparatus of an aisle is offset/staggered relative to the vertical operating/service level of each storage and removal apparatus of a neighboring/adjacent aisle such that units can be routed through the storage facility without lifts by being actively exchanged between aisles and rack levels by the storage and removal apparatuses.

Storage and retrieval systems demand time and space efficient approaches. Embodiments herein provide a storage system with guided plate based lifting apparatus for payload loading-unloading on storage rack. The system deploys an Automated Guided Vehicle/Autonomous Mobile Robot (AGV/AMR) mounted with multiple lifting apparatuses in between two adjacent storage racks. The racks are modified with guide plates having entry cutouts for horizontal movements and entry guides for vertical movement of lifting apparatus. Ramp provided in the guide plates at the bottom of racks ensures there is enough clearance for lifting apparatus to go inside an aisle and have smooth vertical lifting. Wheel retention mechanism guides the vertical lifting maintaining required clearance. A conveyor belt mechanism mounted to base plate of lifting apparatus consists of geared rotary motor for conveyor belt that has a forward and backward movement, enabling the lifting apparatus to load/unload the payload inside/outside the racks.