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EP-4164966-B1 - DELIVERY VEHICLE WITH ROTATABLE CONTAINER CARRIER, AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

EP4164966B1EP 4164966 B1EP4164966 B1EP 4164966B1EP-4164966-B1

Inventors

  • AUSTRHEIM, TROND
  • Mæhle, Ole Alexander

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210603

Claims (13)

  1. A remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) for transport of a storage container (106), the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) comprising: a vehicle base (2) comprising rolling devices (32) configured to move the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) in a horizontal plane along tracks of a rail system (108; 308) comprising a first set of parallel rails (110; 51) arranged in a first direction (X) and a second set of parallel rails (111; 52) arranged in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to the first direction (X), wherein when in a horizontal plane, the vehicle base has a longitudinal extension which is longer than a transverse extension; rolling device motors (4, 4') for driving the rolling devices (32), a power source configured to provide propulsion power to the rolling device motors (4, 4'), a container carrier (35) supported by the vehicle base (2), wherein the container carrier (35) is configured to receive the storage container (106) from above and/or from a side and onto or at least partly into the container carrier (35), wherein a longitudinal extension and transverse extension of the container carrier (35) is equal to the longitudinal extension and transverse extension of the vehicle base; and characterized in that the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) further comprises a rotational drive configured to rotate the container carrier (35) in a horizontal plane, and any storage container (106) supported thereon, relative the vehicle base (2).
  2. The remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to claims 1, wherein the container carrier (35) comprises a compartment for containing at least part of the storage container (106).
  3. The remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to claims 1-2, wherein the rotational drive comprises a rotatable bearing in the form of a ring gear (360).
  4. The remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to claim 3, wherein the ring gear (360) is of a diameter corresponding to over 50% of the width of the delivery vehicle (30).
  5. The remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rotational drive is higher than an upper part of the vehicle body (2) and supports the container carrier (35) such that it is formed a gap between the upper part of the vehicle body (2) and the container carrier (35).
  6. The remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to any of the preceding claims 1-5, wherein the rotational drive comprises a piston cylinder apparatus (370) comprising a cylinder (371) and a piston rod (372) movable relative the cylinder (371), wherein the piston cylinder apparatus (370) is operable by a pressurized fluid flowing into and out of the cylinder (371).
  7. The remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to claim 6, wherein the piston cylinder apparatus (370) comprises at least one pair of parallel cylinders (371) with piston rods (372), wherein the cylinders (371) are connectable to the vehicle body (2) and the piston rods (372) are connectable on opposite sides of a common rotatable plate (373).
  8. An automated storage and retrieval system comprising: a first automated storage and retrieval system (A) comprising a first rail system (108) having a first orientation, wherein the first rail system of the first automated storage and retrieval system (A) comprises: a container handling vehicle rail system (108) comprising a first set of parallel rails (110) arranged in a horizontal plane (P) and extending in a first direction (X), and a second set of parallel rails (111) arranged in the horizontal plane (P) and extending in a second direction (Y) which is perpendicular to the first direction (X), wherein first and second sets of rails (110, 111) form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane (P) comprising a plurality of adjacent container handling vehicle grid cells (122), each container handling vehicle grid cell (122) comprising a container handling vehicle grid opening (115) defined by a pair of neighboring rails of the first set of rails (110) and a pair of neighboring rails of the second set of rails (111); and a plurality of stacks (107) of storage containers (106) arranged in storage columns (105) located beneath the container handling vehicle rail system (108), wherein each storage column (105) is located vertically below a container handling vehicle grid opening (115); wherein the automated storage and retrieval system further comprises: a remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to any preceding claim, and an intermediate rail system (C) connected to the first automated storage and retrieval system (A), wherein the intermediate rail system (C) comprises a first set of parallel rails (110; 51) arranged to guide movement of the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) in a first direction (X) across the top of the intermediate rail system (C), and a second set of parallel rails (111; 52) arranged perpendicular to the first set of rails (110; 51) to guide movement of the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) in a second direction (Y) which is perpendicular to the first direction.
  9. The automated storage and retrieval system according to claim 8, further comprising: a second automated storage and retrieval system (B) comprising a second rail system (108) having a different, second, orientation relative the first orientation, wherein the second rail system of the second automated storage and retrieval system (B) comprises: a container handling vehicle rail system (108) comprising a first set of parallel rails (110) arranged in a horizontal plane (P) and extending in a first direction (X), and a second set of parallel rails (111) arranged in the horizontal plane (P) and extending in a second direction (Y) which is perpendicular to the first direction (X), wherein first and second sets of rails (110, 111) form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane (P) comprising a plurality of adjacent container handling vehicle grid cells (122), each container handling vehicle grid cell (122) comprising a container handling vehicle grid opening (115) defined by a pair of neighboring rails of the first set of rails (110) and a pair of neighboring rails of the second set of rails (111); and a plurality of stacks (107) of storage containers (106) arranged in storage columns (105) located beneath the container handling vehicle rail system (108), wherein each storage column (105) is located vertically below a container handling vehicle grid opening (115); and wherein the intermediate rail system (C) is connected to the second automated storage and retrieval system (B).
  10. The automated and retrieval system according to claim 8, comprising an external conveyor (400) arranged at or close to the intermediate rail system (C), wherein the external conveyor (400) has a different, second, orientation relative the first orientation.
  11. A method of transferring a storage container (106) between a first automated storage and retrieval system (A) comprising a first rail system (108) having a first orientation and a second automated storage and retrieval system (B) comprising a second rail system (108) having a different, i.e. second, orientation relative the first orientation, wherein the first and second rail systems of the first and second automated storage and retrieval systems (A,B) both comprise: a container handling vehicle rail system (108) comprising a first set of parallel rails (110) arranged in a horizontal plane (P) and extending in a first direction (X), and a second set of parallel rails (111) arranged in the horizontal plane (P) and extending in a second direction (Y) which is perpendicular to the first direction (X), wherein first and second sets of rails (110, 111) form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane (P) comprising a plurality of adjacent container handling vehicle grid cells (122), each container handling vehicle grid cell (122) comprising a container handling vehicle grid opening (115) defined by a pair of neighboring rails of the first set of rails (110) and a pair of neighboring rails of the second set of rails (111); and a plurality of stacks (107) of storage containers (106) arranged in storage columns (105) located beneath the container handling vehicle rail system (108), wherein each storage column (105) is located vertically below a container handling vehicle grid opening (115); wherein the method comprises: utilizing a first container handling vehicle (301-A) operating on the first rail system to load a storage container on a container carrier (35) of a remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) operates on an intermediate rail system (C) connected to both the first and second automated storage and retrieval systems (A,B), wherein the container carrier (35) and the first container handling vehicle (301-A) are oriented in accordance with the first orientation, moving the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) to a position next to the second automated storage and retrieval system (B), rotating the container carrier (35), and thus the storage container (106), in accordance with the second orientation using the rotational drive, positioning a second container handling vehicle (301-B) operating on the second rail system, and which has the second orientation, directly above the container carrier (35) of the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30), lifting the storage container (106) off the container carrier (35) utilizing a lifting device of the second container handling vehicle (301-B).
  12. A method of transferring a storage container between an automated storage and retrieval system comprising a rail system (108) having a first orientation and an external conveyor (400) having a different, second, orientation relative the first orientation, wherein the first automated storage and retrieval systems comprise: a container handling vehicle rail system (108) comprising a first set of parallel rails (110) arranged in a horizontal plane (P) and extending in a first direction (X), and a second set of parallel rails (111) arranged in the horizontal plane (P) and extending in a second direction (Y) which is perpendicular to the first direction (X), wherein the first and second sets of rails (110, 111) form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane (P) comprising a plurality of adjacent container handling vehicle grid cells (122), each container handling vehicle grid cell (122) comprising a container handling vehicle grid opening (115) defined by a pair of neighboring rails of the first set of rails (110) and a pair of neighboring rails of the second set of rails (111); and a plurality of stacks (107) of storage containers (106) arranged in storage columns (105) located beneath the container handling vehicle rail system (108), wherein each storage column (105) is located vertically below a container handling vehicle grid opening (115); wherein the method comprises: utilizing a first container handling vehicle to load a storage container on a container carrier (35) of a remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the container carrier (35) and the first container handling vehicle (30) are oriented in accordance with the first orientation, rotating the container carrier (35) of the remotely operated delivery vehicle (30), and thus the storage container (106), in accordance with the second orientation, using the rotational drive, moving the remotely operated delivery (30) vehicle next to the external conveyor (400), unloading the storage container from the container carrier (35) to the external conveyor (400).
  13. Use of a remotely operated delivery vehicle (30) according to any of the preceding claims 1-7 to rotate a storage container (106) such as to transfer a storage container (106) between a first and second automated storage and retrieval system with different orientation of rail systems (108).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the field of automated storage and retrieval systems. In particular, the invention relates to a delivery vehicle and an automated storage and retrieval system comprising a delivery vehicle, where the delivery vehicle has a vehicle base and container carrier supported by the base, and wherein the container carrier can be rotated relative the vehicle base by means of a rotational drive. BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART Fig. 1A discloses a typical prior art automated storage and retrieval system 1 with a framework structure 100 and Fig. 2 and 3A discloses two different prior art container handling vehicles 201,301 suitable for operating on such a system 1. The framework structure 100 comprises upright members 102, horizontal members 103 and a storage volume comprising storage columns 105 arranged in rows between the upright members 102 and the horizontal members 103. In these storage columns 105 storage containers 106, also known as bins, are stacked one on top of one another to form stacks 107. The members 102, 103 may typically be made of metal, e.g. extruded aluminum profiles. The framework structure 100 of the automated storage and retrieval system 1 comprises a rail system 108 arranged across the top of framework structure 100, on which rail system 108 a plurality of container handling vehicles 201,301 are operated to raise storage containers 106 from, and lower storage containers 106 into, the storage columns 105, and also to transport the storage containers 106 above the storage columns 105. The rail system 108 comprises a first set of parallel rails 110 arranged to guide movement of the container handling vehicles 201,301 in a first direction X across the top of the frame structure 100, and a second set of parallel rails 111 arranged perpendicular to the first set of rails 110 to guide movement of the container handling vehicles 201,301 in a second direction Y which is perpendicular to the first direction X. Containers 106 stored in the columns 105 are accessed by the container handling vehicles through access openings/ grid openings 112 in the grid cells 122 in the rail system 108. The container handling vehicles 201,301 can move laterally above the storage columns 105, i.e. in a plane which is parallel to the horizontal X-Y plane. The upright members 102 of the framework structure 100 may be used to guide the storage containers during raising of the containers out from and lowering of the containers into the columns 105. The stacks 107 of containers 106 are typically selfsupportive. Each prior art container handling vehicle 201,301 comprises a vehicle body 201a,301a, and first and second sets of wheels 201b,301b,201c,301c which enable the lateral movement of the container handling vehicles 201,301 in the X direction and in the Y direction, respectively. In Figs. 2 and 3A, two wheels in each set are fully visible. The first set of wheels 201b,301b is arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the first set of rails 110, and the second set of wheels 201c, 301c is arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the second set of rails 111. At least one of the first and second sets of wheels 201b, 301b, 201c, 301c can be lifted and lowered, so that the first set of wheels 201b, 301b and/or the second set of wheels 201c, 301c can be engaged with the respective set of rails 110, 111 at any one time. Each prior art container handling vehicle 201, 301 also comprises a lifting device (not shown) for vertical transportation of storage containers 106, e.g. raising a storage container 106 from, and lowering a storage container 106 into, a storage column 105. The lifting device comprises one or more gripping / engaging devices which are adapted to engage a storage container 106, and which gripping / engaging devices can be lowered from the vehicle 201, 301 so that the position of the gripping / engaging devices with respect to the vehicle 201,301 can be adjusted in a third direction Z which is orthogonal to the first direction X and the second direction Y. Part of the gripping device of the container handling vehicle 301 is shown in in Fig. 3A and is indicated with reference number 304. The gripping device of the container handling device 201 is located within the vehicle body 201a in Fig. 2. Conventionally, and also for the purpose of this application, Z=1 identifies the uppermost layer of storage containers, i.e. the layer immediately below the rail system 108, Z=2 the second layer below the rail system 108, Z=3 the third layer etc. In the exemplary prior art disclosed in Fig. 1A, Z=8 identifies the lowermost, bottom layer of storage containers. Similarly, X=1...n and Y=1...n identifies the position of each storage column 105 in the horizontal plane. Consequently, as an example, and using the Cartesian coordinate system X, Y, Z indicated in Fig. 1A, the storage container identified as 106' in Fig. 1A can be said to occupy storage position X=10, Y=2, Z=3. The container ha