US 11,780,672 B2
Robotic-based storage using versatile shelving array
Shay Cohen, Shoham (IL); and Guy Blotnik, Tel Aviv (IL)
Assigned to GET FABRIC LTD, Tel Aviv (IL)
Filed by GET FABRIC LTD, Tel Aviv (IL)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/446,488.
Application 17/446,488 is a continuation of application No. 16/479,680, granted, now 11,136,189, previously published as PCT/IL2018/050199, filed on Feb. 21, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/461,243, filed on Feb. 21, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0387803 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B65G 1/06 (2006.01); B25J 9/10 (2006.01); B66F 9/06 (2006.01); G05B 19/4155 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01); B61F 99/00 (2006.01); B61B 13/00 (2006.01); B61C 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/0414 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1035 (2013.01); B61F 99/00 (2013.01); B65G 1/0492 (2013.01); B65G 1/065 (2013.01); B66F 9/063 (2013.01); G05B 19/4155 (2013.01); G05B 19/41895 (2013.01); B61B 13/00 (2013.01); B61C 13/00 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0208 (2013.01); G05B 2219/50362 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
at least one shelving block comprising at least one shelving unit, each shelving unit having a plurality of horizontally oriented vertically spaced apart storage surfaces configured to store thereon crates,
wherein the at least one shelving unit is positioned on a ground;
at least one lift robot configured to move horizontally and vertically over said at least one shelving block, while being suspended above the ground; and
a computerized control system in which storage locations are registered such that the at least one lift robot can be routed by the computerized control system for delivering crates to and retrieving crates from the storage locations;
wherein the storage locations comprise at least first and second groups of storage locations in the shelving block, the first group having a first vertical spacing size between first horizontally oriented storage surfaces, the second group having a second vertical spacing size between second horizontally oriented storage surfaces, the second vertical spacing size is greater than the first vertical spacing size;
wherein the computerized control system is configured to route the at least one lift robot to deliver crates of a height shorter than the second vertical spacing size but taller than the first vertical spacing size to be stored in a storage location of the second group;
wherein the computerized control system is configured to differentiate between the at least first and second groups of storage locations based on at least first and second different ranges of crate sizes that can be stored by the at least first and second groups, respectively; and
wherein the computerized control system is configured to automatically relocate a crate from a first storage space of the second group to a second storage space of the first group, whereby improving a space efficiency of the at least one shelving block,
wherein the crate has a height shorter than the first vertical spacing size.