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EP-4450425-B1 - CONTAINER-HANDLING VEHICLE

EP4450425B1EP 4450425 B1EP4450425 B1EP 4450425B1EP-4450425-B1

Inventors

  • AUSTRHEIM, TROND

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20190207

Claims (18)

  1. A container-handling vehicle (9') for picking up storage containers (6) from a three-dimensional grid (4) of an underlying storage system (1), comprising a vehicle body (13) and at least one lifting device (18') for lifting a storage container (6) from the grid (4), the lifting device (18') comprises a lifting band drive assembly (47,47',31), a horizontal lifting frame (17) and a plurality of lifting bands (16a,16b); the lifting band drive assembly (47,47',31) is connected to the vehicle body (13) and comprises at least one rotatable lifting shaft (22.22'); the lifting frame (17,17') comprises four corner sections (36), gripper elements (24) for releasable connection to a storage container (6), and a lifting band connector (32,32') arranged at each of the corner sections; the lifting bands (16a,16b) are connected to the lifting band drive assembly (47,47',31) and the lifting band connectors (32,32'), such that the lifting frame (17,17') may move in a vertical direction relative to the lifting band drive assembly by rotation of the lifting shaft (22,22'); wherein at least three of the lifting band connectors (32,32',32"') are adjustable, such that the vertical distance between the respective corner sections and the lifting band drive assembly may be adjusted; and wherein the lifting frame comprises at least one control module (29) for controlling the gripper elements (24), and at least a part of each lifting band connector (32,32',32") is made in an electrical insulating material, such that the lifting bands are only in electrical contact with the lifting frame (17) at the at least one control module (29).
  2. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each adjustable lifting band connector (32,32',32") comprises a bracket (39,39',39") and a band connector hub (40,63,76,41), the bracket is connected to the lifting frame (17,17',17") and the band connector hub is connected to the bracket and one of the lifting bands, such that movement of the band connector hub relative to the bracket will adjust the vertical distance between the respective corner section and the lifting band drive assembly (47,47',31).
  3. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vertical distance between the respective corner section (36) and the lifting band drive assembly (47,47',31) may be adjusted by rotation of the band connector hub (63,76) about a horizontal axis or by movement of the band connector hub (40,76) in a vertical or horizontal direction.
  4. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the band connector hub (40,76) comprises a lifting band clamp (41) and is movable between a first position, wherein the lifting band clamp (41) is at a lowest level relative the bracket, and a second position, wherein the lifting band clamp is at an upper level relative the bracket.
  5. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the band connector hub (76) abuts an adjustment element when in the second position, the adjustment element is preferably an adjustment bolt (79).
  6. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the upper level of the lifting band clamp (41) may be adjusted by actuation of the adjustment element.
  7. A container-handling vehicle according to any of claims 4-6, wherein the band connector hub (76,41) is biased towards the first position by a resilient element (78).
  8. A container-handling vehicle according to any of claims 4-7, wherein the band connector hub comprises a lever (76) connected to the lifting band clamp (41), the lever being pivotably connected to the bracket (39") about a horizontal axis.
  9. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the lever (76) may pivot between the first position and the second position.
  10. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the band connector hub (40,63) is connected to the bracket (39,39') via an adjustment element (42,64), such that actuation of the adjustment element will allow movement of the band connector hub relative to the bracket.
  11. A container-handling vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment element is a threaded bolt (42,64) that may be actuated by rotation.
  12. A container-handling vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bracket (39,39',39"), or an intermediate bracket element (62) connecting the bracket and the lifting frame, is made in an electrical insulating material.
  13. A container-handling vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the lifting band connectors (32,32',32") comprises a pivotable connection (66,67,80) having a centreline perpendicular to the vertical plane of the connected lifting band.
  14. A method of adjusting the position of a lifting frame (17,17',17") of a container-handling vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: - arranging the container-handling vehicle (9') at a suitable location, for instance at an empty storage column (5) at the periphery of the storage grid (4); - lowering the lifting frame, such that a service person has access to the lifting band connectors; and - adjusting at least one lifting band connector, such that the lifting frame is suspended in the horizontal plane by the lifting bands.
  15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one lifting band connector (32,32',32") comprises a band connector hub (40,63,76) and a bracket (39,39',39"), and the step of adjusting the at least one lifting band connector comprises movement of the band connector hub (40,63) relative to the bracket (39,39').
  16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the step of adjusting the at least one lifting band connector adjusts the vertical distance between the respective corner sections and the lifting band drive assembly.
  17. A method according to any of the claims 14 to 16, wherein the step of lowering the lifting frame comprises lowering the lifting frame to a supporting structure on which the lifting frame is supported in a horizontal position, and the step of adjusting the at least one lifting band connector comprises tensioning any lifting bands that are slack.
  18. An automated storage and retrieval system (1) comprising a three-dimensional grid (4) and at least one container-handling vehicle (9') according to any of the claims 1-13, wherein the grid (4) comprises multiple storage columns (5), in which storage containers (6) may be stored on top of one another in vertical stacks (7); and the container handling vehicle (9') is operated on rails (10,11) at a top level of the grid (4) for retrieving storage containers (6) from, and storing storage containers (6) in, the storage columns (5), and for transporting the storage containers (6) horizontally across the grid (4).

Description

Technical field The present invention relates to a container handling vehicle and an automated storage and retrieval system comprising the container handling vehicle. Background and prior art Storage systems comprising a three-dimensional storage grid structure, within which storage containers/bins are stacked on top of each other, are well known. Fig. 1 discloses a framework structure of a typical prior art automated storage and retrieval system 1 and figures 2a and 2b disclose known container-handling vehicles of such a system. The storage system is disclosed in detail in for instance NO317366 and WO 2014/090684 A1. The framework structure comprises a plurality of upright members/profiles 2 and a plurality of horizontal members 3, which are supported by the upright members 2. The members 2, 3 may typically be made of metal, e.g. extruded aluminium profiles. The framework structure defines a storage grid 4 comprising multiple grid columns 12 arranged in rows. A majority of the grid columns 12 are storage columns 5 in which storage containers 6, also known as containers, are stacked one on top of another to form stacks 7. Each storage container 6 (or container for short) may typically hold a plurality of product items (not shown), and the product items within a storage container 6 may be identical or may be of different product types depending on the application. The framework structure guards against horizontal movement of the stacks 7 of storage containers 6, and guides vertical movement of the containers 6, but does normally not otherwise support the storage containers 6 when stacked. The upper horizontal members 3 comprise a rail system 8 arranged in a grid pattern across the top of the grid columns 12, on which rail system 8 a plurality of container-handling vehicles 9 are operated to raise storage containers 6 from and lower storage containers 6 into the storage columns 5, and also to transport the storage containers 6 above the storage columns 5. The rail system 8 comprises a first set of parallel rails 10 arranged to guide movement of the container-handling vehicles 9 in a first direction X across the top of the frame structure 1, and a second set of parallel rails 11 arranged perpendicular to the first set of rails 10 to guide movement of the container-handling vehicles 9 in a second direction Y, which is perpendicular to the first direction X, see fig. 3. In this way, the rail system 8 defines an upper end of the storage columns 5, above which the container-handling vehicles 9 can move laterally above the storage columns 5, i.e. in a plane, which is parallel to the horizontal X-Y plane. Each container-handling vehicle 9 comprises a vehicle body 13 and first and second sets of wheels 14, 15 which enable the lateral movement of the container-handling vehicle 9, i.e. the movement in the X and Y directions. In fig. 2, two wheels in each set are visible. The first set of wheels 14 is arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the first set 10 of rails, and the second set of wheels 15 arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the second set 11 of rails. One of the set of wheels 14, 15 can be lifted and lowered, so that the first set of wheels 14 and/or the second set of wheels 15 can be engaged with their respective set of rails 10, 11 at any one time. Each container-handling vehicle 9 also comprises a lifting device 18 (not shown in fig. 1 and 2a, but visible in fig. 2b) for vertical transportation of storage containers 6, e.g. raising a storage container 6 from and lowering a storage container 6 into a storage column 5. The lifting device 18 comprises a lifting frame (not shown in fig. 2a, but similar to the one shown in fig. 2b labelled 17) which is adapted to engage a storage container 6, which lifting frame can be lowered from the vehicle body 12 so that the position of the lifting frame with respect to the vehicle body 12 can be adjusted in a third direction Z, which is orthogonal the first direction X and the second direction Y. Conventionally, and for the purpose of this application, Z=1 identifies the uppermost layer of the grid 4, i.e. the layer immediately below the rail system 8 (in the present application, the rail system 8 is termed the top level of the grid), Z=2 is the second layer below the rail system 8, Z=3 is the third layer etc. In the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 1, Z=8 identifies the lowermost, bottom layer of the grid 4. Consequently, as an example and using the Cartesian coordinate system X, Y, Z indicated in Fig. 1, the storage container identified as 6' in Fig. 1 can be said to occupy grid location or cell X=10, Y=2, Z=3. The container-handling vehicles 9 can be said to travel in layer Z=0 and each grid column 12 can be identified by its X and Y coordinates. Each container-handling vehicle 9 comprises a storage compartment or space for receiving and stowing a storage container 6 when transporting the storage container 6 across the grid 4. The storage space may comprise