Cooled storage system having sections separated by thermal barrier

Abstract

A cooled storage system includes a grid structure of storage cells. Each cell may be arranged to accommodate a vertical stack of storage bins and having a top level. At least one remotely operated vehicle may be 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. Additionally, a thermal insulation is provided between at least a section of the grid structure and the remotely operated vehicle, and the section of the grid structure has a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the remotely operated vehicle.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising: a grid structure of storage cells, wherein each storage cell is arranged to accommodate a vertical stack of storage bins and having a top level, the grid structure comprises a plurality of vertical aluminum columns interconnected by top rails, the columns forming adjacent rows of storage cells; at least one remotely operated vehicle arranged to move on the top rails and receive a storage bin from a storage cell at the top level of the grid structure, the grid structure comprises at least a first section and a second section which are separated from each other by a thermal barrier arranged such that the first section has a lower temperature than the second section, wherein the thermal barrier extends from a floor, upon which the grid structure is arranged, to the top rails.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one remotely operated vehicle moves between the first and the second section on the top rails.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one remotely operated vehicle moves the storage bin between a storage cell in the first section of the grid structure to a storage cell of the second section of the grid structure.

4. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the thermal barrier comprises at least a first part accommodated in a row of storage cells arranged between the first and second section.

5. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein the first part of the thermal barrier comprises a wall, boards, plates or mats comprising an insulating material.

6. The storage system according to claim 5, wherein the insulating material is polystyrene.

7. The storage system according to claim 4, wherein the first part of the thermal barrier extends from the floor, upon which the grid structure is arranged, to the top rails.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein the row of storage cells accommodating the first part of the thermal barrier is adjacent to a row of storage cells in the first section and adjacent to a row of storage cells in the second section.

9. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the storage cells of the first section and the second section accommodates vertical stacks of storage bins.

10. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first section is connected to a cooling unit.

11. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the second section is connected to a cooling unit.

12. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first section is a freezer section and the second section is a cooling section.

13. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein thermal insulation is provided between at least the first section of the grid structure and the remotely operated vehicle and the first section of the grid structure has a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the remotely operated vehicle.

14. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the remotely operated vehicle comprises: a vehicle body, a first vehicle section for storing vehicle driving means, a first set of wheels connected to the vehicle body allowing movement of the remotely operated vehicle along a first direction within the storage system during use, a second set of wheels connected to the vehicle body allowing movement of the remotely operated vehicle along a second direction in the storage system during use, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and a second vehicle section for receiving the storage bin from a stack of storage bins.

15. The storage system according to claim 14, wherein the remotely operated vehicle is arranged to move upon the top rails when the storage bin is in the second vehicle section.

16. The storage system according to claim 14, wherein the remotely operated vehicle has a single vehicle lifting device at least indirectly connected to the vehicle body, the single lifting device is for lifting any of the storage bin and an insulated cover into the second section.

17. The storage system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the remotely operated vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic top view illustrating certain aspects of a storage system;

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the storage system in FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the storage system in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating certain aspects of a remotely operated vehicle;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) 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.

(7) 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.

(8) 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.

(9) 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.

(10) 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.

(11) 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.

(12) 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.

(13) 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. The remotely operated vehicle 27′ comprises a first section 28 for storing vehicle driving means and a second section 29 for receiving any storage bin stored in a stack within the storage system, a vehicle lifting device 43 at least indirectly connected to the vehicle body for lifting the storage bin into the second section, a first set of vehicle rolling means 41 connected to the vehicle body allowing movement of the vehicle along a first direction within the storage system during use and a second set of vehicle rolling means 42 connected to the vehicle body allowing movement of the vehicle along a second direction in the storage system during use, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

(14) 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.

(15) 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.