AUTOMATED STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR STORING FRESH FOOD AND PRODUCE

Abstract

An automated storage and retrieval system for storing product items includes a framework structure with upright members and horizontal members and a storage volume including storage columns between the members. The framework structure includes a rail system arranged above the members. The automated storage and retrieval system further includes storage containers in which the product items are stored and container handling vehicles moving along the rail system for transporting the storage containers. The storage containers are stackable in stacks within the storage columns. The rail system includes rails and each rail includes tracks. Adjacent tracks of at least one rail of the rail system are separated by a ventilation slot extending in a vertical plane between two adjacent storage columns.

Claims

1. An automated storage and retrieval system for storing product items; wherein the system comprises: a framework structure with upright members and horizontal members and a storage volume comprising storage columns between the members, wherein the framework structure comprises a rail system arranged above the members; storage containers in which the product items are stored, wherein the storage containers are stackable in stacks within the storage columns; container handling vehicles moving along the rail system for transporting the storage containers, wherein the rail system comprises rails, each rail comprising tracks, and adjacent tracks of at least one rail of the rail system are separated by a ventilation slot extending in a vertical plane between two adjacent storage columns.

2. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein a first type of the storage containers are ventilated storage containers.

3. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 2, wherein the ventilated storage container comprises ventilation openings in at least a side wall facing towards the ventilation slot when located in a storage column adjacent to the ventilation slot.

4. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 2, wherein the ventilated storage containers comprise ventilation openings in one side wall only, the one side wall having ventilation openings being faced towards the ventilation slot when located in a storage column adjacent to the ventilation slot.

5. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation slot has a width in a first horizontal direction of 1-30%, preferably 5%, of the width (d105) in the first horizontal direction of the adjacent storage column.

6. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the framework structure comprises one ventilation slot for every second storage column.

7. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein: a first area of the framework structure comprises one ventilation slot for every second storage column; a second area of the framework structure is provided without ventilation slots between adjacent tracks; and the container handing vehicles are movable along the rail system between first and second areas.

8. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, further comprising a control system for monitoring and controlling the system; wherein: the control system comprises a unique identifier for each storage container; the control system is configured to determine if the storage container is a ventilated storage container or a non-ventilated storage container based on the unique identifier; and the control system is configured to determine a storage position for the ventilated storage containers in one of the storage columns in which its ventilation openings will be faced towards the ventilation slot.

9. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 8, wherein the control system is configured to: determine the location of the ventilation openings of the ventilated storage container based on the unique identifier before the storage position is determined.

10. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 8, wherein: the position of the ventilation slot is stored in the control system; the container handling vehicles are configured to detect the position of the ventilation slots during their operation on the rail system.

11. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the container handling vehicles comprises a lifting device with a gripping unit, the lifting device with gripping unit being rotatably connected with respect to its first and second sets of wheels.

12. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein a first track of the adjacent tracks are used by a vehicle moving above one of the adjacent columns and wherein a second track of the adjacent tracks are used by a vehicle moving above the second one of the adjacent columns.

13. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the rails in the first horizontal direction is forming a bridge over the ventilation slot at intervals in a second direction allowing the vehicles to pass the ventilation gap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] Following drawings are appended to facilitate the understanding of the invention. The drawings show embodiments of the invention, which will now be described by way of example only, where:

[0055] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a framework structure of a prior art automated storage and retrieval system.

[0056] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art container handling vehicle having a centrally arranged cavity for carrying storage containers therein.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a prior art container handling vehicle having a cantilever for carrying storage containers underneath.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a rail system of a prior art storage and retrieval system from above.

[0059] FIG. 5 shows a rail system of an embodiment of the present storage and retrieval system from above.

[0060] FIG. 6a shows a stack of three storage containers.

[0061] FIG. 6b shows the stack in FIG. 6a turned 180°.

[0062] FIG. 7 illustrates how the storage containers are stacked above each other in the storage system of FIG. 5.

[0063] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the dashed box DB of FIG. 7.

[0064] FIG. 9a-b illustrates side views of the upper parts of the framework structure.

[0065] FIG. 10 illustrates a combination of the prior art system of FIG. 4 and the system of FIG. 5;

[0066] FIGS. 11a and 11b illustrates a container handling vehicle where the container lifting device can be rotated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0067] In the following, embodiments of the invention will be discussed in more detail with reference to the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are not intended to limit the invention to the subject-matter depicted in the drawings.

[0068] The framework structure 100 of the automated storage and retrieval system 1 is constructed in accordance with the prior art framework structure 100 described above in connection with FIGS. 1-3, i.e. a number of upright members 102 and a number of horizontal members 103, which are supported by the upright members 102, and further that the framework structure 100 comprises a rail system 108 in the X direction and Y direction.

[0069] The framework structure 100 further comprises storage compartments in the form of storage columns 105 provided between the members 102, 103, where storage containers 106 are stackable in stacks 107 within the storage columns 105.

[0070] The framework structure 100 can be of any size. In particular it is understood that the framework structure can be considerably wider and/or longer and/or deeper than disclosed in FIG. 1. For example, the framework structure 100 may have a horizontal extent of more than 700×700 columns and a storage depth of more than twelve containers.

[0071] In FIG. 4, a prior art framework structure 100 is shown from above. As the members 102, 103 are provided under the rails 110, 111 of the rail system 108, only the rail s 110, 111 are visible in FIG. 4. In addition, the storage columns 105 are here for simplicity shown empty, i.e. there are no storage containers stacked above each other within the storage columns 105.

[0072] First, it is referred to FIGS. 6a and 6b, where a stack 107 of three storage containers 6 are stacked above each other. Each storage container 6 comprises ventilation openings 12 in one of the four side walls 11 of the storage container 6. In FIG. 6a, the ventilation openings 12 are provided on the right side of the storage container 6, while in FIG. 6b, the ventilation openings 12 are provided on the left side of the storage containers 6. These storage containers 6 are hereinafter referred to as ventilated storage containers.

[0073] It should be noted that the ventilated storage containers 6 in FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b are identical to each other, but rotated 180° around a vertical axis (Z-direction) with respect to each other.

[0074] It is now referred to FIG. 5 (top view) and FIG. 7 (side view). By using the coordinate system of the drawings, rows of storage columns are extending in the X-direction, and these rows of storage columns are placed next to each other in the Y-direction. The storage containers 6 are stacked above each other in the Z-direction.

[0075] The rail system 108 of the framework structure 100 comprises a ventilation slot 30 extending in a vertical plane VP between two adjacent rows of storage columns, i.e. the vertical plane VP is extending in the X-direction and in the Z-direction. The ventilation slot 30 is provided between two vertical members 102 of the framework structure 100, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0076] It is now referred to FIG. 9b. On the left side, the rail 111 with its two adjacent tracks 111b, 111a is located above the vertical member 102, which is identical to the prior art configuration shown in FIG. 9a. On the right side, there are two spaced apart vertical members 102 below the rail 111, separated by the ventilation slot 30. Moreover, also the adjacent tracks 111b, 111a of the left-side rail 111 is separated by the ventilation slot 30.

[0077] The ventilation slot 30 has a width d30 in the Y-direction. The width d30 of the ventilation slot 30 is here indicated as the distance the air can flow between the tracks 111b, 111a. The width of the ventilation slot 30 between the vertical members 102 are indicated as d102. Preferably, the width d102 is equal to, or substantially equal to, the width d30 of the ventilation slot 30.

[0078] In the present embodiment, the ventilation slot 30 has a width d30 of 5 cm. This storage system is dimensioned for storage containers having a length of 60 cm (Y-direction) and a width of 40 cm (X-direction). The width and length of the storage column is slightly larger than the width and length of the storage container. Preferably, width d30 of the ventilation slot 30 is between 3-12 cm.

[0079] Hence, according to the above, the ventilation slot 30 is extending across the rail system. However, it should be noted that the vertical members 102 of FIG. 9b will be mechanically secured to each other in similar ways to FIG. 9a, i.e. by means of horizontal posts and rails 110 in the Y-direction. The rails 110 in the Y-direction will therefore bridge the ventilation slot 30 at intervals in the X-direction to allow the vehicles to pass the ventilation gap.

[0080] In FIG. 9a and FIG. 9b, a container handling vehicle arranged to collect a storage container from the storage column 105 will use track 111a on the left-side rail 111 and track 111b on the right-side rail 111 when driving in the X-direction (i.e., into the image). A cantilever-type of container handling vehicle 301 (FIG. 3) will have its wheels lowered into rails 110 in the Y-direction when elevating/lowering storage containers 6, 106 into the compartment 105, while its wheels used for driving in the X-direction will be elevated, assuming that the cantilever structure is protruding in the X-direction with respect to the vehicle body (as shown in FIG. 5). A single-cell type of container handling vehicle 201 (FIG. 2) may have its wheels lowered into rails 110 and/or rails 111.

[0081] It is now referred to FIGS. 7 and 8 again. Here it is shown that the ventilated storage containers 6 are stored with their ventilation openings 12 facing towards the ventilation slot 30 when located in a storage column 105 adjacent to the ventilation slot 30.

[0082] In the control system 500 for monitoring and controlling the system 1, a unique identifier for each storage container 6, 106 is stored. The control system 500 is configured to determine if the storage container is a ventilated storage container 6 or a non-ventilated storage container 106 based on the unique identifier. In the present embodiment, where each ventilated storage container 6 has either right-side ventilation openings or left-side ventilation openings, a parameter indicative of the location of its ventilation openings are also stored for each storage container 6.

[0083] The control system 500 is, based on the above information, configured to determine a storage position for each ventilated storage containers 6, to ensure that the ventilation openings 12 of each ventilated storage container 6 will be positioned facing towards the ventilation slot 30.

[0084] Consequently, ventilated storage containers 6 with right-side ventilation openings 12 are stored in storage columns 105 on the left side of the ventilation slot 30, while ventilated storage containers 6 with left-side ventilation openings 12 are stored in storage columns 105 on the right side of the ventilation slot 30.

[0085] The illustrated framework structure 100 comprises one ventilation slot 30 for every second storage column 105. In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, it is shown that the framework structure 100 comprises one ventilation slot 30 for every second storage column 105 in the first horizontal direction Y, as this is assumed to be a suitable trade-off between effective storage capacity and effective ventilation.

[0086] It is now referred to FIG. 10. Here it is shown a framework structure from above, divided into a first area A1 and a second area A2. Here, the first area A1 of the framework structure 100 comprises one ventilation slot 30 for every second storage column 105. The second area A2 of the framework structure 100 is provided without ventilation slots 30 between adjacent tracks 111a, 111b, i.e. it is similar to the prior art framework structure of FIG. 1. Ventilated storage containers 6 are primarily stored in the first area A1, while non-ventilated storage containers 106 are primarily stored in the second area A2. However, it is possible to store non-ventilated storage containers 106 in the first area A1 and ventilated storage containers 6 in the second area A2. It should be noted that the container handing vehicles 201, 301 are movable freely along the rail system 108 between first and second areas A1, A2.

Alternative Embodiments

[0087] In the above embodiments, the storage containers 6 having right-side ventilation openings 12 are stored in storage columns on the left side of the ventilation slot 30, while the storage containers 6 having left-side ventilation openings 12 are stored in storage columns 105 on the right side of the ventilation slot 30.

[0088] It is now referred to FIG. 11a and FIG. 11b. Here it is shown a container handling vehicle 301 of a cantilever type (similar to, but not identical to, the prior art type shown in FIG. 3), where the lifting device with the gripping unit 304 being rotatably connected with respect to its wheels. Here, the storage containers 6 with right-side ventilation openings 12 may be converted to storage containers 6 with left-side ventilation openings 12 by rotating the storage containers 180°.

[0089] The storage containers 6 may also comprise ventilation openings 12 in two of its side walls 11, the two side walls 11 being opposite side walls. This storage container 6 may be stored in the storage columns 105 on both sides of the ventilation slot, without any 180° rotation.

[0090] In the preceding description, various aspects of the automated storage and retrieval system according to the invention have been described with reference to the illustrative embodiment. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, systems and configurations were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the system and its workings. However, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and variations of the illustrative embodiment, as well as other embodiments of the system, which are apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the disclosed subject matter pertains, are deemed to lie within the scope of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

Prior Art (FIGS. 1-4)

[0091] 1 Prior art automated storage and retrieval system [0092] 100 Framework structure [0093] 102 Upright members of framework structure [0094] 103 Horizontal members of framework structure [0095] 104 Storage grid [0096] 105 Storage column [0097] 106 Storage container [0098] 106′ Particular position of storage container [0099] 107 Stack [0100] 108 Rail system [0101] 110 Parallel rails in first direction (X) [0102] 110a First rail in first direction (X) [0103] 110b Second rail in first direction (X) [0104] 111 Parallel rail in second direction (Y) [0105] 111a First rail of second direction (Y) [0106] 111b Second rail of second direction (Y) [0107] 112 Access opening [0108] 119 First port column [0109] 120 Second port column [0110] 201 Prior art storage container vehicle [0111] 201a Vehicle body of the storage container vehicle 201 [0112] 201b Drive means/wheel arrangement, first direction (X) [0113] 201c Drive means/wheel arrangement, second direction (Y) [0114] 301 Prior art cantilever storage container vehicle [0115] 301a Vehicle body of the storage container vehicle 301 [0116] 301b Drive means in first direction (X) [0117] 301c Drive means in second direction (Y) [0118] 304 Gripping device [0119] 500 Control system [0120] X First direction [0121] Y Second direction [0122] Z Third direction