| CPC A47B 57/00 (2013.01) [B65G 1/0471 (2013.01); A47B 2220/0061 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. An inventory management system, comprising:
a mobile drive unit operable to move and carry within a workspace;
a rack comprising:
a base having a bottom surface engageable by the mobile drive unit, the base comprising at least a central area between a first lateral area and a second lateral area;
a ladder upright anchored in the central area and extending upwardly from the base;
a plurality of shelves arranged above the base, supported by the ladder upright, and extending laterally from the ladder upright; and
a set of legs extending downwardly from the base and spaced apart from one another to facilitate passage of the mobile drive unit between at least some of the legs to reach a position beneath the base for engagement with the bottom surface of the base to lift the rack for transport within the workspace; and
a tensioning system comprising:
a first strap anchored at the first lateral area of the base and extending upward toward a first upper anchor portion;
a second strap anchored at the second lateral area of the base and extending toward a second upper anchor portion;
a plate secured to the first upper anchor portion of the first strap and secured to the second upper anchor portion of the second strap, the plate further comprising a set of plate-aligning apertures vertically aligned along the plate and including at least a first plate-aligning aperture and a second plate-aligning aperture;
a set of receiving apertures vertically arranged along the ladder upright and including at least a first receiving aperture and a second receiving aperture, the set of receiving apertures spaced apart from one another differently than a spacing among the plate-aligning apertures such that the plate is adjustable by vertical movement along the ladder upright among at least (i) a first aligned configuration in which the first plate-aligning aperture is aligned with the first receiving aperture, and (ii) a second aligned configuration in which the second plate-aligning aperture is aligned with the second receiving aperture; and
a fastener arranged extending through either (i) the first plate-aligning aperture and the first receiving aperture in the first aligned configuration, or (ii) the second plate-aligning aperture and the second receiving aperture in the second aligned configuration.
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