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EP-4500032-B1 - INVENTORY HANDLING STATION ASSEMBLY

EP4500032B1EP 4500032 B1EP4500032 B1EP 4500032B1EP-4500032-B1

Inventors

  • HABBEN, Keith
  • BOHAN, Stephen
  • SKEEN-SMITH, Larry

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230316

Claims (15)

  1. An inventory handling station (60) for cooperating with a storage and retrieval system, the storage and retrieval system comprising a grid framework structure (14) comprising: a plurality of upright columns (16) lying in one or more vertical planes and arranged to form a plurality of grid columns (15) for one or more containers (10) to be stacked between and be guided by the plurality of upright columns (16) in a vertical direction, the plurality of upright columns (16) support a grid lying in a substantially horizontal plane comprising a plurality of grid cells or grid spaces, said grid comprising a first set of grid members (18) extending in a first direction and a second set of grid members (20) extending in a second direction, the second set of grid members (20) running perpendicularly to the first set of grid members (18); the first and the second set of grid members supports a first and a second set of tracks (22a, 22b) respectively at an upper level of the grid framework structure for a load handling device (30) to move one or more storage containers (10) on the grid framework structure (14), the inventory handling station (60) comprises an assembly of modular structures (148), said assembly of modular structures (148) being arranged to support a conveying system (76) comprising a plurality of conveying units (78, 80, 82), each of the plurality of conveying units (78, 80, 82) being mounted on a respective modular section (117) of adjacent modular structures (110) to form a continuous conveyor, wherein each of the modular structures (110) in the assembly comprises vertically adjacent modular sections (117), and wherein each of the modular sections (117) comprises at least four connectors (116), each of the at least four connectors (116) in the single modular section (117) is connected to two other connectors (116) by respective horizontal support elements (112a, 112b) to form a substantially rectangular frame; wherein the modular structure (110) is formed by connecting each of the at least four connectors of the vertically adjacent modular sections (117) by substantially vertical support elements (114) to form a frame structure; wherein each of the at least four connectors (116) comprising a single body comprising: i) a first connector portion (118) for connecting a support element extending in a first direction, ii) a second connector portion (120) for connecting a support element extending in a second direction, iii) a third connector portion (122) for connecting a support element extending in a third direction, the first, second and third directions being substantially perpendicular to each other, each of the first, second and third connecting portions (118, 120, 122) comprises a key (124) that is profiled for controlling the orientation of the support elements (112a, 112b, 114) in their respective first, second and third directions; iv) a first mounting projection and a second mounting projection, each of the first and second mounting projections having a substantially flat mating face for mating with a corresponding mounting projection of an adjacent connector, the first mounting projection (150a) lying in a first mounting projection plane and the second mounting projection (150b) lying in a second mounting projection plane, the second mounting projection plane being substantially perpendicular to the first mounting projection plane such that adjacent modular structures in the assembly are joined together by the first and/or second mounting projections of one or more of their respective connectors; wherein, the distal ends of each of the horizontal and vertical support elements (112a, 112b, 114) comprises an opening (130) having a profile complementary to the profile of the keys (124) of the connectors (116) such that the orientation of the horizontal and vertical support elements (112a, 112b, 114) are controlled by the profile of the keys (124).
  2. The inventory handling station (60) of claim 1, wherein the assembly of modular structures (148) is arranged to support:- i) a port station for receiving a storage container being dropped off from and to be picked up through a grid cell; ii) an access station to enable access to one or more storage containers dropped off from the port station, and wherein the conveying system (76) is arranged for conveying a storage container between the port station and the access station.
  3. The inventory handling station (60) of claim 2, wherein the port station comprises a vertical chute (62) configurable to cooperate with at least one upright column, the at least one vertical chute (62) having a first opening for receiving a container lowered by at least one load handling device through a grid cell and a second opening to allow the container to exit from the port station.
  4. The inventory handling station of claim 3, wherein the assembly of modular structures (148) further comprises a plurality of modular structures arranged in a stack to define the vertical chute (62); and optionally, the vertical chute (62) comprises a bin lift device (68) configurable to upwardly lift a storage container towards the grid such that, in use, the storage container can be retrieved by the least one load handling device.
  5. The inventory handling station of any of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the port station comprises a supply zone (64) for receiving a storage container being dropped off through a grid cell and a pick up zone for picking up a storage container through a grid cell.
  6. The inventory handling station (60) of claim 5, wherein the plurality of conveyor units comprises an entry conveyor unit (78) being configured in the supply zone (64), an access conveyor unit (80) being arranged in the access station (66) and an exit conveyor unit (82) being arranged in the pick-up zone; optionally, the entry conveyor unit (78), the exit conveyor unit (82) and the access conveyor unit (80) being arranged to respectively transport a storage container in a first, second and third transport directions, and wherein the first transport direction of the entry conveyor unit (78) is opposite and parallel to the second transport direction of the exit conveyor unit (82) and the third transport direction of the access conveyor unit (80) is orthogonal to both the first transport direction of the entry conveyor unit (78) and the second transport direction of the exit conveyor unit (82); and, optionally, the entry conveyor unit (78), the exit conveyor unit (82) and the access conveyor unit (80) being arranged to respectively transport a storage container in a first, second and third transport directions, and wherein the conveyor system is arranged such that the first transport direction of the entry conveyor unit (78) is orthogonal to both the second transport direction of the exit conveyor unit (82) and the third transport direction of the at least one access conveyor unit (80).
  7. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the claims 2 to 6, wherein the port station and/or the access station comprises a load cell.
  8. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the profile of the key (124) of each of the at least four connecters comprise at least two opposing straight edges to prevent rotation of the support elements about an axis extending through the key, each of the at least two opposing straight edges defining a load bearing surface; and optionally, the profile of the key (124) of each of the at least four connecters are substantially quadrilateral.
  9. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the keys (124) of the first and second connector portions (118, 120) of each of the at least four connectors (116) lie in the same plane and are orientated such that a line extending along the mid-point of the keys of the first and second connector portions intersect at substantially 90°; and optionally, the key (124) of the third connector portion (122) of each of the at least four connectors lie in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the keys of the first and second connector portions such that the connector has a line of symmetry extending through the key of the third connector portion (122).
  10. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the key (124) of each of the at least four connecters comprise a raised boss; optionally, the raised boss comprises a substantially flat mating face; and optionally, the raised boss comprises a bore (140).
  11. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the one or more mounting projections (150a, 150b) of each of the at least four connecters comprise a first bore (152) and a second bore (154), the first bore (152) is a threaded bore and the second bore (154) is a non-threaded bore.
  12. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the preceding claim, wherein each of the at least four connecters comprise a spacer (156) for spacing with an adjacent connector.
  13. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the modular structures in the assembly has a substantially cuboidal structure;
  14. The inventory handling station (60) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly of the modular structures comprises a plurality of modular structures arranged in a stack; and optionally, the plurality of modular structures are arranged side by side.
  15. A fulfilment/decant system comprising:- i) a storage and retrieval system comprising a grid framework structure (14) comprising: a plurality of upright columns (14) lying in one or more vertical planes and arranged to form a plurality of grid columns (15) for one or more containers to be stacked between and be guided by the plurality of upright columns in a vertical direction, the plurality of upright columns are interconnected at their top ends by a first set of grid members extending in a first direction and a second set of grid members extending in a second direction, the second set of grid members running transversely to the first set of grid members in a substantially horizontal plane to form a grid or grid structure comprising a plurality of grid cells or grid spaces; the first and the second set of grid members supports a first and a second set of tracks respectively at an upper level of the grid framework structure for a robotic load handling device to move one or more storage containers on the grid framework structure, ii) one or more load handling devices (30) remotely operated to move the one or more containers stored in the grid framework structure, each of the one or more load handling devices comprises: i) a wheel assembly (34, 36) for guiding the load handling device on the grid structure; ii) a container-receiving space (40) located above the grid structure; and iii) a lifting device arranged to lift a single container from a stack into the container- receiving space, iii) an inventory handling station (60) as defined in any of the claims 1 to 14, said inventory handling station being configured to receive one or more storage containers from the storage and retrieval system.

Description

Field of Invention The present invention relates to the field of a storage and retrieval system for handling storage containers or bins stacked in a grid framework structure, more particularly to an inventory handling station assembly for picking or supplying one or more items or goods to or from the storage and retrieval system comprising the grid framework structure. Background Storage systems comprising a three-dimensional storage grid structure, within which storage containers/bins are stacked on top of each other, are well known. PCT Publication No. WO2021/175872A (Ocado) describes a known storage and fulfilment system in which stacks of bins or containers are arranged within a grid framework structure. The bins or containers are accessed by load handling devices remotely operative on tracks located on the top of the grid framework structure. A system of this type is illustrated schematically in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, stackable containers, known as bins or containers 10, are stacked on top of one another to form stacks 12. The stacks 12 are arranged in a grid framework structure 14 in a warehousing or manufacturing environment. The grid framework is made up of a plurality of storage columns or grid columns 15. Each grid in the grid framework structure has at least one grid column for storage of a stack of containers. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the grid framework structure 14, and Figure 2 is a top-down view showing a stack 12 of bins 10 arranged within the framework structure 14. Each bin 10 typically holds a plurality of product items (not shown), and the product items within a bin 10 may be identical, or may be of different product types depending on the application. The grid framework structure 14 comprises a plurality of upright members or upright columns 16 that support horizontal members 18, 20. A first set of parallel horizontal grid members 18 is arranged perpendicularly to a second set of parallel horizontal grid members 20 to form a plurality of horizontal grid structures supported by the upright members 16. The members 16, 18, 20 are typically manufactured from metal and typically welded or bolted together or a combination of both. The bins 10 are stacked between the members 16, 18, 20 of the grid framework structure 14, so that the grid framework structure 14 guards against horizontal movement of the stacks 12 of bins 10, and guides vertical movement of the bins 10. The top level of the grid framework structure 14 includes rails 22 arranged in a grid pattern across the top of the stacks 12. Referring additionally to Figure 3, the rails 22 support a plurality of load handling devices 30. A first set 22a of parallel rails 22 guides movement of the robotic load handling devices 30 in a first direction (for example, an X-direction) across the top of the grid framework structure 14, and a second set 22b of parallel rails 22, arranged perpendicular to the first set 22a, guides movement of the load handling devices 30 in a second direction (for example, a Y-direction), perpendicular to the first direction. In this way, the rails 22 allow movement of the robotic load handling devices 30 laterally in two dimensions in the horizontal X-Y plane, so that a load handling device 30 can be moved into position above any of the stacks 12. A known load handling device 30 shown in Figure 4 and 5 comprises a vehicle body 32 is described in PCT Patent Publication No. WO2015/019055 (Ocado), where each load handling device 30 only covers one grid space of the grid framework structure 14. Here, the load handling device 30 comprises a wheel assembly comprising a first set of wheels 34 consisting a pair of wheels on the front of the vehicle body 32 and a pair of wheels 34 on the back of the vehicle body 32 for engaging with the first set of rails or tracks to guide movement of the device in a first direction and a second set of wheels 36 consisting of a pair of wheels 36 on each side of the vehicle 32 for engaging with the second set of rails or tracks to guide movement of the device in a second direction. Each set of wheels is driven to enable movement of the vehicle in X and Y directions respectively along the rails. One or both sets of wheels can be moved vertically to lift each set of wheels clear of the respective rails, thereby allowing the vehicle to move in the desired direction. The load handling device 30 is equipped with a lifting device or crane mechanism to lift a storage container from above. The crane mechanism comprises a winch, a tether or cable 38 wound on a spool or reel (not shown) and a grabber device 39. The lifting device or crane mechanism comprises a set of lifting tethers 38 extending in a vertical direction and connected nearby or at the four corners of a lifting frame 39, otherwise known as a grabber device (one tether near each of the four corners of the grabber device) for releasable connection to a storage container 10