US 12,240,695 B2
Storage system
Trond Austrheim, Etne (NO)
Assigned to AutoStore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
Appl. No. 17/432,436
Filed by Autostore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
PCT Filed Jan. 20, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/051272
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/169287, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 20190224 (NO), filed on Feb. 19, 2019; and application No. 20191456 (NO), filed on Dec. 9, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0144543 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B60L 53/16 (2019.01); B60L 53/36 (2019.01)
CPC B65G 1/0464 (2013.01) [B60L 53/16 (2019.02); B60L 53/36 (2019.02); B65G 1/0478 (2013.01); B65G 1/0492 (2013.01); B60L 2200/26 (2013.01); B60L 2200/36 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A storage system comprising at least one vehicle, a horizontal rail grid, and a charging system for charging a rechargeable power source of the vehicle,
wherein the vehicle comprises a first set of wheels and a second set of wheels for moving the vehicle upon the rail grid;
wherein the first set of wheels is displaceable in a vertical direction between a first position, wherein the first set of wheels may move the vehicle in a first direction, a second position, wherein the first and the second set of wheels are in contact with the rail grid, and a third position, wherein the second set of wheels may move the vehicle in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
wherein the charging system comprises three charge-receiving elements arranged on a bottom section of the vehicle and connected to the power source, and a charging station comprising two charge-providing elements connected to a charging power source;
wherein the charging station comprises an actuator operatively connected to the charge-providing elements and arranged to move the charge-providing elements in a vertical direction, such that the charge-receiving elements may be connected with the charge-providing elements when the vehicle is positioned above the charging station;
wherein the charge-receiving elements comprise a first charge-receiving element centrally arranged on the bottom section and a second charge-receiving element and a third charge-receiving element arranged on opposite sides of the first charge-receiving element, such that the two charge-providing elements connect to the first charge-receiving element and one of the second and third charge-receiving elements depending upon an orientation in which the vehicle is arranged on the rail grid; and
wherein each charge-receiving element is in a form of a power socket and each charge-providing element is in a form of a power pin.