KR-102965189-B1 - APPARATUS FOR RETRIEVING UNITS FROM A STORAGE SYSTEM

Abstract

A storage system and a cargo handling device (100) for lifting and moving containers (10) stacked in the storage system are described. The storage system includes a plurality of rails or tracks (22a, 22b) arranged in a grid pattern (14) on a stack of containers. The grid pattern includes a plurality of grid spaces, and each stack is located within the footprint of a single grid space. The cargo handling device is configured to move laterally on the rails or tracks on the stack. The cargo handling device includes a container receiving space (114) located above the rails or tracks when in use, and a lifting device (104) arranged to lift containers from the stack into the container receiving space. The cargo handling device occupies substantially only one grid space in the storage system when in use.

Inventors

• 린드보 라스 스베커 튀어
• 스테이디 로버트 롤프
• 웰란 매튜 로버트
• 브렛 크리스토퍼 리차드 제임스

Assignees

• 오카도 이노베이션 리미티드

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20140724

Priority Date

20130809

Claims (1)

1. As a grid frame structure (14) for use in a warehouse environment, In the grid frame structure (14), stackable containers (10) are stacked on top of each other to form a stack (12), and The above grid frame structure (14) includes a plurality of upright members (16) that support horizontal members (18, 20), the horizontal members (18, 20) include a first set of parallel horizontal members (18), and the first set of parallel horizontal members (18) are arranged perpendicularly to a second set of parallel horizontal members (20). The upright member (16) and the horizontal member (18, 20) are made of metal, and The top level of the grid frame structure (14) includes rails (22) arranged in a grid pattern across the top of the stack (12) to support a robotic cargo handling device, and the rails (22) include a first set of parallel rails (22a) for guiding the movement of the cargo handling device in a first direction across the top of the grid frame structure (14), and a second set of parallel rails (22b) arranged perpendicular to the first set of parallel rails (22a) for guiding the movement of the cargo handling device in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction across the top of the grid frame structure (14). Each rail in the first set of parallel rails (22a) and each rail in the second set of parallel rails (22b) includes a longitudinally extending dividing structure, dividing each rail into two adjacent tracks, a grid frame structure (14).

Description

Apparatus for retrieving units from a storage system The present invention relates to a device for retrieving objects from a storage system. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a robotic device for handling a storage container or box in a store comprising a grid of stacked objects. Some commercial and industrial activities require systems that enable the storage and retrieval of multiple different products. A known work system for storing and retrieving items across multiple product lines involves placing storage boxes or containers in rows of shelves arranged in aisles. Each box or container holds multiple products of a single product type. The aisles provide access between the rows of shelves, allowing the required products to be retrieved by workers or robots circulating through the aisles. However, the need to provide aisle space to access the products implies that the storage density of such a system is relatively low. In other words, the amount of space actually used for storing the products is relatively small compared to the amount of space required for the entire storage system. As an alternative method that provides significant improvements in storage density, containers are stacked vertically and arranged in rows. Containers are accessed from above, so a passageway between rows is not required, and more containers can be stored in a given space. Methods for handling containers stacked in rows have been well known for decades. In some of these systems, for example as described in US 2,701,065, free-standing stacks of containers are arranged in rows to reduce storage space associated with the storage of such containers while still providing access to specific containers when necessary. Access to a given container is made possible by providing a relatively complex hoisting mechanism, which can be used to stack containers and remove a given container from the stack. However, the cost of such systems is impractical in many situations, and the system is primarily commercialized for the storage and handling of large shipping containers. The concept of using a free-standing stack of containers and providing a mechanism for retrieving and storing specific containers has been further developed, for example, as described in EP 0 767 113 B (Cimcorp). Cimcorp discloses a mechanism for removing multiple stacked containers using a robotic cargo handle in the form of a rectangular tube, said robotic cargo handle being lowered around the stack of containers and capable of grasping a container at any height within the stack. In this way, multiple containers can be lifted from the stack at once. Using said movable tube, multiple containers can be moved from the top of one stack to the top of another stack, or containers can be moved from the stack to an external location and vice versa. Such a system may be particularly useful when all containers in a single stack contain the same product (known as a single-product stack). By using a cargo handler, containers can be moved between single-product stacks to add, for example, multiple containers containing a single type of product to a store, and one or more containers can be picked up from two or more single-product stacks to create a multi-product stack. An example of this is picking up boxes of vegetables from a central warehouse in response to a multi-product order to be delivered to a retail store. As described in Cimcorp, in the system, the height of the tube must be at least equal to the height of the maximum stack of containers so that the maximum stack of containers can be removed in a single operation. Therefore, when used in enclosed spaces such as warehouses, the maximum height of the stack is limited by the need to accommodate the tube of the cargo handler. Furthermore, the system is not well suited for selecting a single container from a multi-product stack. Multi-product sales in online retail, such as online grocery stores or supermarkets, require systems capable of storing tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of different product lines. In such cases, using single-product stacks may be impractical because it would require a very large floor area to accommodate all the necessary stacks. Furthermore, single-product stacks are an inefficient solution, as it may be desirable to store only a few small quantities of items, such as perishable or rarely ordered goods. Therefore, for some use cases, to maximize the storage density of the system, it is advantageous to use multi-product stacks where the containers constituting each stack can hold different products. Even if some required items are stored at lower heights of the stack beneath several different containers, the stored items must be reasonably fast and easy to access, so that multiple different products required to fulfill customer orders can be picked up from the storage system in an efficient manner. International patent application WO 98/049075A (Autosto