US 11,772,892 B2
Remotely operated vehicle for a storage system
Ingvar Hognaland, Nedre Vats (NO); Ivar Fjeldheim, Haugesund (NO); Trond Austrheim, Etne (NO); and Borge Bekken, Haugesund (NO)
Assigned to Autostore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
Filed by Autostore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/106,209.
Application 17/106,209 is a continuation of application No. 15/978,219, filed on May 14, 2018, granted, now 10,882,694.
Application 15/978,219 is a continuation of application No. 15/319,103, granted, now 10,294,025, issued on May 21, 2019, previously published as PCT/EP2015/063415, filed on Jun. 16, 2015.
Claims priority of application No. 20140773 (NO), filed on Jun. 19, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2021/0078802 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. B65G 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/0464 (2013.01) [B65G 1/0478 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A remotely operated vehicle for retrieving and/or replacing items from a storage system comprising a framework structure having a track system at an upper level of the framework structure upon which the vehicle travels, the track system comprising a plurality of tracks arranged in a first direction and a plurality of tracks arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, whereby intersecting tracks define cells arranged in a grid pattern, through which cells a lifting device of the vehicle may access items stored in the storage system, the vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body or framework displaying a cavity arranged centrally within the vehicle body or framework for receiving and holding an item from the storage system;
the lifting device comprising a gripping member attached to an elongated lowering and raising mechanism arranged for lowering the gripping member through a cell to access a stored item, the gripping member arranged to grip the item and the elongated mechanism being arranged to lift the item into the cavity;
two sets of wheels, a first set of wheels arranged to travel along the tracks in the first direction and a second set of wheels arranged to travel along the tracks in the second direction;
a displacement arrangement comprising a displacement motor,
wherein the displacement motor is configured to provide power or force to vertically displace at least one of the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels between a displaced state and a non-displaced state while the remotely operated vehicle is being operated, wherein the at least one of the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels is displaced away from the tracks in the displaced state, and wherein the at least one of the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels is in contact with the tracks in the non-displaced state, thereby changing the direction of travel of the vehicle; and
at least four vertical beams arranged at corners of the vehicle body or framework for guiding the first set of wheels between the displaced state and the non-displaced state, wherein the at least four vertical beams define the vehicle body or framework with a cuboid shape,
wherein each of the at least four vertical beams features a vertical recess by which the first set of wheels is guided, and
wherein the vehicle body or framework occupies at most a space of a single cell and the tracks defining the cell during a retrieval or replacement operation.