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EP-4451847-B1 - STORAGE SYSTEM FOR VERTICAL FARMING AND A METHOD THEREOF

EP4451847B1EP 4451847 B1EP4451847 B1EP 4451847B1EP-4451847-B1

Inventors

  • AUSTRHEIM, TROND
  • FAGERLAND, Ingvar

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20221216

Claims (19)

  1. An automated storage and retrieval system (1) comprising: - storage containers (106); - an illuminable storage grid (500) comprising: - horizontally displaceable container supports (502;502a-j) each arranged with a vertical offset ( ΔdV ) to an adjacent horizontally displaceable container support (502;502a-j) and configured to support a plurality of the storage containers (106), - wherein at least one of the horizontally displaceable container supports (502) is an illuminable container support (502) that is configured to illuminate an area below and - wherein the illuminable container support (502) has at least one aperture (503a-f) configured to allow passage of at least one of the storage containers (106) therethrough, - a support displacement system (700) for displacing at least one of the container supports (502) horizontally; and - a container handling device (200,300,400) configured to move between - a first location above or on the illuminable storage grid (500) and - a second location outside the horizontal periphery of the illuminable storage grid (500), wherein the container handling device (200,300,400) comprises a lifting device (304) configured to releasably grab and lift at least one of the storage containers (106) from one of the horizontally displaceable container supports (502;502a-j).
  2. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the illuminable storage grid (500) comprises - a rail system (508) comprising a first set of parallel rails (510) extending in a first direction (X) and a second set of parallel rails (511) extending in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to the first direction (X), the first and second sets of rails (510,511) forming a grid pattern comprising adjacent grid cells (522), wherein each grid cell (522) comprises a grid opening (515) defined by a pair of adjacent rails of the first set of rails (510) and a pair of adjacent rails of the second set of rails (511), and - wherein the rail system (508) is arranged above and adjacent to the uppermost horizontally displaceable container support at a first vertical offset ( V rl ) , and - wherein the container handling device (200,300,400) is configured to move horizontally in the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y) on the rail system (508) and to lift the storage container (106) through the grid opening (515) by use of the lifting device (303,403).
  3. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with claim 2, - wherein each container support (502) is individually displaceable a distance corresponding to the distance of n grid cells (522) in the first (X) and/or second (Y) direction, where n is an integer of 1 or more.
  4. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (1) comprises - a stack (107) of storage containers (106) located outside the horizontal periphery of the illuminable storage grid (500), and - wherein the second location is above the stack (107).
  5. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with claim 4, when depending on claim 2 or 3, - wherein the height of the stack (107) is lower than the height of the rail system (508) and - wherein the rail system (508) extends above the stack (107).
  6. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one illuminable container support (502) comprises - a container support frame (505,506) and - a plurality of illumination units (550) supported within the container support frame (505,506), onto each of which a storage container (106) may be supported, - wherein each illumination unit (550) comprises an illumination source (552).
  7. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with claim 6, wherein each illumination unit (550) is supported by the container support frame (505,506) so as to be removed by the container handling device (200,300,400).
  8. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with claim 6 or 7, wherein each illumination unit (550) comprises an illumination unit frame (553) having a lower face at which the illumination source (552) is arranged.
  9. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein each illumination unit (550) comprises a grippable structure (555) configured to allow a releasable coupling with the lifting device (304).
  10. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of claims 6-9, wherein the illumination unit (550) comprises a power connector (554) configured for receiving power from an illumination power supply (551) and for supplying the received power to the illumination source (552).
  11. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of claims 6-10, wherein each horizontally displaceable container support (502) has principal directions in a first direction (X) and an orthogonal second direction (Y) and is configured as a matrix of container spaces with a plurality of container spaces arranged in the first direction (X) and a plurality of container spaces arranged in the second direction (Y), and wherein an illumination unit (550) is positioned in each container space to support a storage container (106).
  12. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein each horizontally displaceable container support (502) displays a plurality of apertures (503a-f) configured to allow passage of at least one of the storage containers therethrough.
  13. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support displacement system (700) comprises a displacement mechanism (701) allowing displacement of one or more of the container supports (502) in at least one principal direction ( Y ) and a remotely controlled motor (702) operably coupled to the displacement mechanism (701).
  14. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the illuminable storage grid (500) comprises a ventilation system (800) for guiding flow of air in between the plurality of container supports (502).
  15. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with claim 14, wherein the ventilation system (800) comprises a plurality of ventilation fans arranged at least partly within the vertical offsets ( ΔdV, V rl ) between the container supports (502).
  16. The automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein each storage container (106) comprises vertical side walls displaying one or more openings.
  17. A method for storing and retrieving storage containers (106) with crops (80) for cultivation from an illuminable storage grid of an automated storage and retrieval system (1) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises the following steps A. moving the container handling device (200,300,400) to the first location where its lifting device (303,403) is positioned in vertical alignment above either a target storage container (106') supported on the uppermost container support (502a) or, if the target storage container (106') is situated on one of the container supports (502b-j) beneath the uppermost container support (502a), an aperture (503b') of the uppermost container support (502) located horizontally closest to the target storage container (106'), B. if the target storage container (106') is not positioned in vertical alignment below the aperture (503b') of the uppermost container support (502a) and below apertures (503b') of any container support(s) (502b-j) arranged there between, displacing the container supports (502) such that the target storage container (106') is in vertical alignment below the aperture (503b') of the uppermost container support (502a) and apertures (503b') of any container supports (502b-g) arranged between the container support (502h) supporting the target storage container (106') and the uppermost container support (502a), C. lowering, grabbing and lifting the target storage container (106') by use of the lifting device (303,403) and D. moving the container handling device (200,300,400) with the target storage container (106') to the second location.
  18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the automated storage and retrieval system (1) is in accordance with claim 5, and wherein the method comprises the steps of - moving the container handling device (200,300,400) with the target storage container (106') along the rail system (508) to the second location directly above the stack (107) and - storing the target storage container (106') on top of the stack (107).
  19. The method in accordance with claim 17 or 18, wherein step B involves equal displacements of the at least one container support (502a-g) arranged above the container support (502h) containing the target storage container (106').

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an illuminable storage grid for storing and cultivating crops, an automated storage and retrieval system for storing and retrieving crops from/to such a storage grid and a method thereof. BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART Fig. 1 discloses a prior art automated storage and retrieval system 1 with a framework structure 100 and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 disclose three different prior art container handling devices 200,300,400 suitable for operating on such a system 1. The framework structure 100 comprises upright members 102 and a storage volume comprising storage columns 105 arranged in rows between the upright members 102. 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 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 devices 200,300,400 may be operated to raise bins 106 from, and lower bins 106 into, the storage columns 105, and also to transport the bins 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 devices 200,300,400 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 devices 200,300,400 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 devices 200,300,400 through access openings 115 in the rail system 108. The container handling devices 200,300,400 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 bins during raising of the bins out from and lowering of the bins into the columns 105. The stacks 107 of bins 106 are typically self-supporting. Each prior art container handling device 200,300,400 comprises a handling device body / vehicle body 201,301,401 and first and second sets of wheels 202a,202b,302a,302b,402a,402b which enable the lateral movement of the container handling devices 200,300,400 in the X direction and in the Y direction, respectively. In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 two wheels in each set are fully visible. The first set of wheels 202a,302a,402a is arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the first set 110 of rails, and the second set of wheels 202b,302b,402b is arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the second set 111 of rails. At least one of the sets of wheels 202a, 202b, 302a,302b,402a,402b can be lifted and lowered, so that the first set of wheels 202a,302a,402a and/or the second set of wheels 202b,302b,402b can be engaged with the respective set of rails 110, 111 at any one time. Each prior art container handling device 200,300,400 also comprises a lifting device 303,403 for vertical transportation of bins 106, e.g. raising a bin 106 from, and lowering a bin 106 into, a storage column 105. The lifting device 303,403 comprises one or more gripping / engaging devices 404 which are adapted to engage a bin 106, and which gripping / engaging devices 404 can be lowered from the vehicle 200,300,400 so that the position of the gripping / engaging devices 404 with respect to the vehicle 200,300,400 can be adjusted in a third direction Z which is orthogonal the first direction X and the second direction Y. The gripping device 404 of the container handling device / vehicle 400 in form of a plurality of claws is shown in Fig. 4. The lifting device of the container handling device 200 is located within the vehicle body 201 and is thus not shown. Conventionally, and also for the purpose of this application, Z=1 identifies the uppermost layer available for bins below the rails 110,111, 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. 1, Z=8 identifies the lowermost, bottom layer of bins. 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. 1, the bins identified as 106' in Fig. 1 can be said to occupy storage position X=17, Y=1, Z=6. The container handling devices 200,300,400 can be said to travel in layer Z=0, and each storage column 105 can be identified by its X and Y coordinates. Thus, the bins shown in Fig. 1 extending above the rail system 108 are also said to be arranged in layer Z=0. The storage volume of the framework structure 100 has often been referred to as a gr