CONTAINER ACCESSING STATION WITH LIFTING DEVICE

Abstract

A container accessing station is disclosed for use in an automated storage and retrieval grid. The station includes an access opening to allow human or robotic access to the contents of a storage container, a base opening, and a lifting device. The lifting device is configured to retrieve the storage container from a first level below the base opening, lift it through the base opening, and position it at a second level for access via the access opening. The lifting device comprises a lifting frame for releasable connection to the storage container and a lift mechanism designed to move the lifting frame between the first and second levels.

Claims

1. A container accessing station for accessing a storage container of an automated storage and retrieval grid, the container accessing station comprising: an access opening configured to allow access to the storage container; a base opening; and a lifting device arranged to retrieve the storage container from a first level beneath the base opening and lift it through the base opening to a second level; wherein the lifting device comprises a lifting frame for releasable connection to the storage container and a lift mechanism arranged to move the lifting frame from the first level to the second level.

2. The container accessing station according to claim 1, wherein the lifting frame comprises four corner sections and a plurality of gripper elements for the releasable connection to the storage container.

3. The container accessing station according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of gripper elements are configured to be driven by a gripper motor situated at a periphery of the lifting frame.

4. The container accessing station according to claim 1, wherein a control module is connected to gripper motors and configured to control the gripper motors.

5. The container accessing station according to claim 2, wherein the storage container comprises a plurality of recesses at a periphery of an opening of the storage container, wherein each recess is configured to receive a corresponding gripper element of the plurality of gripper elements for the releasable connection of the storage container to the lifting frame.

6. The container accessing station according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of gripper elements is configured to releasably connect to the storage container using the plurality of recesses.

7. The container accessing station according to claim 1, wherein the base opening is disposed vertically below the access opening.

8. The container accessing station according to claim 1, wherein the automated storage and retrieval grid is configured to guide a movement of a container handling vehicle that transports the storage container within the automated storage and retrieval grid.

9. The container accessing station according to claim 1, wherein the automated storage and retrieval grid comprises a first set of parallel rails extending in a horizontal plane, and wherein the lifting device extends beneath the base opening in a vertical direction that extends orthogonal to the horizontal plane.

10. The container accessing station according to claim 9, further comprising a cabinet formed by a plurality of walls extending in the vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane, wherein the access opening of the container accessing station forms an upper part of the cabinet and the base opening forms a lower part of the cabinet, wherein the storage container is only accessible by way of the access opening.

11. The container accessing station according to claim 10, further comprising a cover supported by the plurality of walls of the cabinet, wherein the cover is configured to be deployed and retracted across the access opening.

12. The container accessing station according to claim 11, wherein the cover is transparent.

13. The container accessing station according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device comprises a hoist frame configured to suspend the lifting frame in a horizontal orientation within the lifting device.

14. A method for accessing a storage container of an automated storage and retrieval grid via an access opening, the method comprising: releasably connecting a lifting device to the storage container using a lifting frame; and moving the lifting frame from a first level beneath a base opening to a second level, wherein the storage container is lifted through the base opening to the second level.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the releasably connecting is performed by gripper elements of the lifting frame.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising driving the gripper elements to perform the releasably connecting using a gripper motor.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising controlling the gripper motor using a control module.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the releasably connecting of the lifting device to the storage container using the lifting frame comprises inserting one or more of the gripper elements of the lifting frame into one or more recesses of an opening of the storage container.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising transporting the storage container from a delivery port of a delivery column to a grid cell of a delivery rail system positioned vertically below the base opening.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising wherein the transporting is performed by a delivery vehicle, the method further comprising deploying and retracting a cover of a container accessing station to allow access to the storage container through the access opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] Following drawings are appended by way of example only to facilitate the understanding of the invention.

[0077] FIG. 1A-D are perspectives view of a prior art automated storage and retrieval system, where FIG. 1 A and FIG. 1 C shows the complete system and FIG. 1 B and FIG. 1 D shows examples of system operable prior art container handling vehicles.

[0078] FIG. 2 A-C Is a view from top of a grid cell comprising a set of parallel rails arranged to guide movement of a remotely operated vehicle.

[0079] FIG. 3 A-C shows different versions of a remotely operated delivery vehicle arranged for transporting a storage container between the storage grid and the container accessing station.

[0080] FIG. 4 A-B is a perspective view of another automated storage and retrieval grid and a delivery system for transporting storage container between the storage grid and a container accessing station.

[0081] FIG. 5 A-B shows a container accessing station according to an embodiment of the present invention where FIG. 5 B shows a storage container at the second level.

[0082] FIG. 6 A-C is a perspective view of a set of the container accessing system comprising a delivery system and a container accessing station with a container lifting device.

[0083] FIG. 7 A-B shows a container accessing station according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising a lifting device with lifting bands.

[0084] FIG. 8. A-B shows the container accessing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0085] 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. Furthermore, even if some of the features are described in relation to the system only, it is apparent that they are valid for the delivery vehicles and related methods as well, and vice versa. Hence, any features described in relation to the delivery vehicle only, and/or related methods, are also valid for the system.

[0086] With reference to FIGS. 1A-D the storage grid 104 of each storage structure 1 constitutes a framework 100 of in total 143 grid columns 112, where the width and length of the framework corresponds to the width and length of 13 and 11 grid columns 112, respectively. The top layer of the framework 100 is a rail system 108 onto which a plurality of container handling vehicles 200,300 are operated.

[0087] The framework 100 of the storage system 1 is constructed in accordance with the above mentioned prior art framework 100 described above, i.e. a plurality of upright members 102 and a plurality of horizontal members 103 which are supported by the upright members 102, and further that the horizontal members 103 includes the rail system 108 of parallel rails 110,111 in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, arranged across the top of storage columns 105. The horizontal area of a single grid cell 122, i.e. along the X and Y directions, may be defined by the distance between adjacent rails 110 and 111, respectively (see also FIGS. 3 and 4). In FIGS. 1A and 1C, such a grid cell 122 is marked on the rail system 108 by thick lines.

[0088] The rail system 108 allows the container handling vehicles 200,300 to move horizontally between different grid locations, where each grid location is associated with a grid cell 122.

[0089] In FIGS. 1A and 1C the storage grid 104 is shown with a height of eight cells. It is understood, however, that the storage grid 104 can in principle be of any size. In particular it is understood that storage grid 104 can be considerably wider and/or longer than disclosed in FIGS. 1A and 1C. For example, the grid 104 may have a horizontal extent of more than 700700 grid cells 122. Also, the grid 104 can be considerably deeper than disclosed in FIGS. 1A and 1C. For example, the storage grid 104 may be more than twelve grid cells deep.

[0090] The storage container vehicles 200,300 may be of any type known in the art, e.g. any one of the automated container handling vehicles disclosed in WO2014/090684 A1, in NO317366 or in WO2015/193278A1.

[0091] The rail system 108 may be a single rail system, as is shown in FIG. 2A. Alternatively, the rail system 108 may be a double rail system, as is shown in FIG. 2B. Details of the single and double rail system are disclosed this specification under the section of background and prior art.

[0092] FIG. 3A-C shows an embodiment of a remotely operated delivery vehicle 30, hereinafter referred to as a delivery vehicle 30.

[0093] The delivery vehicle 30 is configured for transport of a storage container 106 (not shown) between an automated storage and retrieval grid 104 (see FIGS. 4A and B) configured to store a plurality of stacks 107 of storage containers 106, hereinafter referred to as a storage grid 104, and a access opening 61 provided in a container accessing station 60 for handling of the storage container 106 by at least one of a robotic operator and human operator.

[0094] Said delivery vehicle 30 comprises; a vehicle body 31, a rolling device 32a, 32b connected to the vehicle body 31, a rolling device motor for driving the rolling device 32a, 32b in a horizontal plane (P), and a power source (not shown) connected to the rolling device motor. The power source should provide sufficient power to the rolling device motor (not shown) to propel the rolling device 32a, 32b over a set route from the storage grid 104, for example to an access station 60.

[0095] The delivery vehicle 30 may further comprise a container carrier 35 mounted above the vehicle body 31. The container carrier 35 should be configured to receive the storage container 106 onto or within the container carrier 35 such that the storage container 106 is prevented to slide along the horizontal plane (P1).

[0096] The container carrier 35 may comprise a container supporting device supporting the storage container 106 from below.

[0097] In FIG. 3 A-B the container carrier 35 is disclosed in the form of a storage container receiving compartment having a bottom/base and side walls. The volume of the compartment is in this exemplary configuration such that it may receive and contain the entire horizontal extent of the storage container and at least a part of the vertical extent of the storage container.

[0098] The particular configuration of the container carrier 35 disclosed in 3 A-B allows the delivery vehicle 30 to transport of a storage container 106 having different heights. Note that the size of the compartment within the container carrier 35 may easily be adapted for receiving and supporting a multiple number of storage containers 106 in one operation.

[0099] FIG. 3 C shows yet another exemplary configuration of the remotely operated delivery vehicle 30. In this configuration the container carrier 35 comprises a base plate, a conveyor arranged on the base plate and two side walls protruding upwards from the base plate. The rolling device 32 and the vehicle body 31 are equal or similar to the rolling device 32 and the vehicle body 31 described above.

[0100] The conveyor may be set up by inter alia a plurality of parallel oriented rolls 36 having a common longitudinal direction perpendicular to the two side walls. In this way the rolls 36 allow one or more storage containers 106 to be shifted into or off the container carrier 35 while being guided by the side walls. The conveyor may be connected to a conveyor motor allowing rotation of one or more of the rolls.

[0101] Perspective views of an automated storage and retrieval system is shown in FIG. 4A-B. The system comprises a storage grid 104 and a delivery system 140 comprising a delivery rail system 50, a plurality of delivery vehicles 30 operating on the delivery rail system 50.

[0102] The storage grid 104 is equal or similar to the prior art storage grid 104 as described above, i.e. a storage grid 104 comprising a rail system 108; a plurality of stacks 107 of storage containers 106, a plurality of container handling vehicles 300 for lifting and moving storage containers 106 stacked in the stacks 107 and a delivery column 119,120 configured to receive a storage container 106 from a container handling vehicle 300.

[0103] The delivery system 140 comprises one or more of the delivery vehicles 30 as described above, i.e. delivery vehicles 30 configured to receive and support storage container 106 for transport between one or more delivery columns 119,120 and one or more container handling stations 60 located outside the storage grid 104. The container handling station 60 may be located any predetermined position suitable for handling containers.

[0104] The delivery system 140 may further comprise a delivery rail system 50 situated below a delivery port 150 of the one or more delivery columns 119,120.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 4A-B, the delivery rail system 50 may be constructed in the same way or a similar way as the rail system 108 for the container handling vehicles 200,300. The delivery rail 50 extends at least from the delivery port 150 of one or more delivery columns 119,120, and to the at least one container accessing station 60, such that each storage container 106 can be lifted into the container accessing station 60 where items held in the storage container 106 may be accessed from a different level than that of the delivery rail (see FIG. 6 A-C).

[0106] The container accessing station 60 may comprise a cabinet 63 comprising walls and a top cover supported thereon, as shown in FIG. 5A-B. The items held in the storage containers 106 carried by the delivery vehicle 30 and lifted to the container accessing station 60 is reachable trough an access opening 61 in the top cover of the cabinet 63. The cabinet 60 is arranged adjoining the storage grid 104, where the delivery rail system 50 extends from below the delivery ports 150 and to a position located on a first level below a container accessing station 60.

[0107] The container accessing station 60 comprises an access opening 61 through which a human and/or robot may access contents of the container 106. The container accessing station 60 further comprises a base opening 62 provided at a lower part of the cabinet, and a lifting device 70 arranged to retrieve the container 106 from a first level beneath the base opening 62 and lift it up through the base opening 62 to a second level so that the container 106 may be accessed through the access opening 61.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 5 B, the container accessing station 60 may comprise a deployable cover 81 for restricting access through the access opening 61. The deployable cover 81 may be a retractable cover 81. The cover may be arranged to open only if predetermined conditions are satisfied (e.g. if access to a container is authorised) and may thereby permit access to a container 106 through the access opening 61 when the container 106 is at the second level. The cover 81 may be transparent and may allow the contents of a container 106 to be viewed from outside the container accessing station 60.

[0109] FIG. 6 A-C shows a container accessing system comprising a container accessing station 60 and a delivery system 140. The delivery system 140 in connected to a storage grid (see FIG. 4A-B) such that storage containers 106 may be retrieved form the storage location in the storage grid 104 and transported on delivery vehicles 30 to the delivery grid cell located vertically below a container accessing station 60. A lifting device 70 of the container accessing station 60 is operated to retrieve the storage container 106 and lifts it up from a first level to a second level where items stored in the storage container 106 may be accessed through the access opening 61 provided in the container accessing station 60.

[0110] The delivery system 140 in FIG. 6 A-C may also be a storage grid (not shown). Such that the vehicle operating on the rails are container handling vehicles 200,300. The container handling vehicles 200,300 may retrieve a storage container 106 from the grid structure arranged below the rail system in which the container handing vehicles 200,300 operates and deliver it to the lifting device 70 of the container accessing station 60. Thus, the lifting device 70 of the container accessing station 60 may retrieve a storage container 106 from a delivery vehicle 30 or a container handling vehicle 200,300.

[0111] The lifting device 70 extends beneath the base opening 62 and comprises a lifting frame 72 for releasable connection to the container 106 and a lift mechanism 71 arranged to move the lifting frame 72 from the first level to the second level.

[0112] The lifting frame 72 comprises four corner sections, and gripper elements 78 for releasable connection to the storage container 60.

[0113] The lifting frame 72 provides an opening (OLF) in which an item stored in the storage container can be reached by the human and/or robotic operator at the container accessing station 60, through the opening (OLF) of the lifting frame 72 when the container 60 is lifted to the second level at the access opening 61. The lift mechanism 71 may comprise a guiding structure 73 arranged vertically and at least between the first level and the second level, wherein the horizontal lifting frame 72 is moveable along at least a section of the guiding structure 73. FIG. 7 A-B shows another embodiment of the lifting device 70 comprising a lifting frame 72 and a lift mechanism 71.

[0114] The lift mechanism 71 may comprise a hoist frame 74 with an opening (OHF) provided at the access opening 61 and defining an access perimeter and comprises a plurality of lifting bands guided by the hoist frame 74. The lifting frame 72 is suspended in a horizontal orientation from the hoist frame 74 by the plurality of lifting bands, wherein the access perimeter of the opening (OHF) in the hoist frame 74 corresponds in shape and alignment to the access perimeter of the opening (OLF) in the lifting frame 74 to allow access to items stored in the storage container through the respective openings (OHF, OLF) when the lifting frame 72 has been lifted up to the hoist frame 74 by the lift mechanism 71.

[0115] The hoist frame 74 may comprise a pair of arms 77 and wherein a sheave 79 is connected to a distal end of each arm 77.

[0116] The lift mechanism 71 may comprise a lifting shaft 80 for winding/unwinding the lifting bands simultaneously.

[0117] Accordingly, the container accessing station 60) may comprise a cabinet body 63 arranged about the access opening 61 and the base opening 62 such that a storage container 106 lifted into the cabinet body 63 by the lifting device 70 is only accessible through the access opening 61.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0118] 30 Delivery vehicle [0119] 31 Vehicle body [0120] 32 Rolling device [0121] 32a First set of wheels [0122] 32b Second set of wheels [0123] 35 Container carrier [0124] 36 Rolls of conveyor [0125] 50 Delivery rail system [0126] 51 Delivery grid [0127] 52 Delivery grid cell [0128] 60 Container accessing station [0129] 61 Access opening [0130] 62 Base opening [0131] 63 Cabinet [0132] P1 Horizontal plane of delivery rail system [0133] 70 Lifting device [0134] 71 Lift mechanism [0135] 72 Lifting frame [0136] 73 Guide structure [0137] 74 Hoist frame [0138] 75 Hoist mechanism [0139] 76 Lifting bands [0140] 77 Arm [0141] 78 Gripper elements [0142] 79 Sheave [0143] 80 Lifting shaft [0144] 81 Deployable cover [0145] OLF Opening lifting frame [0146] OHF Opening hoist frame [0147] 100 Framework structure [0148] 102 Upright members of framework structure [0149] 103 Horizontal members of framework structure [0150] 104 Storage grid/three-dimensional grid [0151] 105 Storage column [0152] 106 Storage container [0153] 107 Stack [0154] 108 Rail system [0155] 110 First set of parallel rails in first direction (X) [0156] 111 Second set of parallel rails in second direction (Y) [0157] 115 Grid opening [0158] 119 Delivery column [0159] 120 Delivery column [0160] 122 Grid cell [0161] 140 Delivery system [0162] 150 Delivery port [0163] 200 First container handling vehicle [0164] 201 Wheel arrangement [0165] 300 Second container handling vehicle [0166] 301 Wheel arrangement [0167] X First direction [0168] Y Second direction [0169] P Horizontal plane of rail system