US 11,738,945 B2
Method and apparatus for retrieving units from a storage system
Lars Sverker Ture Lindbo, Hatfield (GB); Andrew John Ingram-Tedd, Hatfield (GB); and Pawel Karolinczak, Hatfield (GB)
Assigned to OCADO INNOVATION LIMITED, Hatfield (GB)
Filed by OCADO INNOVATION LIMITED, Hatfield (GB)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/733,464.
Application 17/733,464 is a continuation of application No. 16/338,205, granted, now 11,345,543, previously published as PCT/EP2017/075018, filed on Oct. 2, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 1616597 (GB), filed on Sep. 30, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0258972 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B65G 1/14 (2006.01); B65G 67/44 (2006.01); B65G 67/46 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/0464 (2013.01) [B25J 15/0052 (2013.01); B65G 1/14 (2013.01); B65G 67/44 (2013.01); B65G 67/46 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
10. A storage system comprising:
a grid structure formed of two substantially perpendicular sets of rails or tracks, the grid structure forming a plurality of grid spaces;
a plurality of stacks of one or more containers located beneath said rails or tracks, each of the plurality of stacks arranged such that each stack occupies a footprint of a single grid space; and
a load handling device, the load handing device including:
a wheel assembly, the wheel assembly comprising a first set of wheels for engaging with a first set of rails or tracks of said rails or tracks to guide movement of the load handing device in a first direction and a second set of wheels for engaging with a second set of rails or tracks of said rails or tracks to guide movement of the load handing device in a second direction,
a container receiving space,
a plurality of vehicle modules, each of the vehicle modules having a container lifting means arranged to lift a container such that the load handling device is arranged to lift a corresponding number of containers as vehicle modules into the container receiving space, and
wherein each of the vehicle modules are moveable to adjust the spacing of the containers in the load handling device.