Cooled storage system

Abstract

A cooled storage system comprises a grid structure of storage cells, where each cell is arranged to accommodate a vertical stack of storage bins and having a top level, at least one remotely operated vehicle arranged to move at the top level of the grid structure and receive a bin from a storage cell at the top level of the grid structure, where there is provided thermal insulation between at least a section of the grid structure and the remotely operated vehicle, and said section of the grid structure has a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the remotely operated vehicle.

Claims

1. Cooled storage system comprising: a grid structure of storage cells, where each cell is arranged to accommodate a vertical stack of storage bins and having a top level, a remotely operated vehicle arranged to move at the top level of the grid structure and receive a bin from a storage cell at the top level of the grid structure, where there is provided thermal insulation between at least a section of the grid structure and the remotely operated vehicle, and said section of the grid structure has a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the remotely operated vehicle, the thermal insulation comprising a number of insulated covers arranged at each storage cell at the top level of the grid structure, wherein the grid structure comprises a plurality of columns interconnected by top rails, and that the cooled storage system comprises a plurality of remotely operated vehicles arranged to move on the top rails of the grid structure and receive a bin from a storage cell at the top level of the grid structure, each of the plurality of remotely operated vehicles comprises a first section for storing vehicle driving means, a second section for receiving a top level storage bin stored in a stack within the storage system and a vehicle lifting device at least indirectly connected to the vehicle body for lifting any of a storage bin and an insulated cover into the second section.

2. Cooled storage system according to claim 1, wherein a first remotely operated vehicle is arranged to lift the insulated covers and thus giving access to the storage cell below, while a second remotely operated vehicle is arranged to lift the storage bin in the storage cell.

3. Cooled storage system according to claim 1 or 2, where a first remotely operated vehicle is arranged to lift both the insulated cover and the storage bin.

4. Cooled storage system according to claim 1 or 2, where a first remotely operated vehicle is arranged to move the insulated cover to a neighboring location and to return to collect the storage bin thus accessible in the storage cell.

5. Cooled storage system according to claim 4, where the grid structure is sub-divided into a number of sections, which sections are separated from each other by thermal insulation.

6. Cooled storage system according to claim 5, where at least one of the sections is connected to a cooling unit.

7. Cooled storage system according to claim 6, where the cooling unit is an evaporator.

8. Cooled storage system according to any of claim 7, where there are at least two sections of grid structure, where the two sections are cooled to different temperatures.

9. Cooled storage system according to claim 1, comprising a bin lift device arranged to receive a bin from a vehicle at the top level of the grid structure and to convey the bin down in a vertical direction to a delivery station, or port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic, partly cut perspective view of a storage system according to the background art;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view illustrating certain aspects of a storage system;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the storage system in FIG. 2;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the storage system in FIG. 2;

[0024] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating certain aspects of a remotely operated vehicle;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic, partly cut perspective view of a storage system according to the background art, which has already been referred to in the background section.

[0026] FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 is a schematic top view and side view illustrating certain aspects of a storage system 21. The storage system 21 includes a grid structure of storage cells 25, 26, where each cell is arranged to accommodate a vertical stack of storage bins and having a top level. At least one remotely operated vehicle 27, 27 is arranged to move at the top level of the grid structure and receive a bin from a storage cell at the top level of the grid structure.

[0027] The grid structure is in this embodiment divided into two sections A and B, which are separated by thermal insulation 24. The thermal insulation 24 is arranged in a wall between the two sections. Additionally there is provided thermal insulation between one of the sections, A, and the remotely operated vehicle 27. The section A can thus have a different temperature than section B and also the remotely operated vehicle.

[0028] As seen in FIG. 4, section A is further divided into two sub-sections AA and AB, which also are separated by thermal insulation 24. Both sections AA and AB are connected to a cooling unit 23, such as an evaporator, for lowering the temperature in the storage system sections. In this example, the two sections have different temperature, the temperature of section AA being lower than the temperature of section AB. Section AA may for example have a temperature of 15-20? C. below zero, while section AB may have a temperature of +3-5? C.

[0029] The storage system may of course be divided into a different number of sections than is illustrated in this example, having same or different temperatures.

[0030] The insulation between the low temperature section A and the remotely operated vehicle means that the vehicle 27 can operate in room temperature in spite of the lower temperature of section A. This is preferable as the performance of the vehicle decreases if the temperature is too low. In particular if the vehicle is battery powered, the operating time of the vehicle is significantly improved in room temperature compared with a cooler temperature.

[0031] The vehicles 27, 27, which is arranged to move at the top level of the grid structure, can move freely over the whole top level, ie. over all sections of the grid structure, and also receive a bin from any storage cell at the top level of the grid structure and deliver to a bin lift device as described in FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating certain aspects of a remotely operated vehicle arranged at the top level of the grid structure, for example as shown in FIGS. 2-4. The thermal insulation between the low temperature section of the grid structure and the remotely operated vehicle 27 comprises a number of insulated covers 31, arranged at each storage cell at the top level of the grid structure storage cell 32 at the top level of the grid structure.

[0033] The remotely operated vehicle 27 is arranged to lift the insulated covers 31 and thus giving access to the storage cell 32 below. The storage bin in the storage cell 32 can then be lifted by another remotely operated vehicle, or the remotely operated vehicle 27 may be arranged to be able to lift both the insulated cover and the storage bin. Alternatively, the remotely operated vehicle 27 moves the insulated cover 31 to a neighboring location, and returns to collect the storage bin thus accessible in the storage cell.

[0034] After the storage bin 32 has been collected, the vehicle 27 can return the insulated cover to its place, thus ensuring continued insulation of that section of grid structure.