US 12,459,733 B2
Bin storage system with robots running on covers
Marc Chatain, Zimmerbach (FR); Romain Moulin, Lille (FR); and Renaud Heitz, Villeneuve d'Ascq (FR)
Assigned to EXOTEC PRODUCT FRANCE, Croix (FR)
Appl. No. 18/042,533
Filed by EXOTEC PRODUCT FRANCE, Croix (FR)
PCT Filed Aug. 31, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/073970
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 22, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/043572, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 3, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2008856 (FR), filed on Aug. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0331477 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 1/04 (2006.01); B66F 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/0464 (2013.01) [B65G 1/0492 (2013.01); B66F 19/00 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bin storage system comprising:
a plurality of storage columns of substantially rectangular cross-section, said columns being configured to receive a vertical stack of bins, upper contours of said storage columns forming a grid; and
at least one robot, which operates above said grid and is capable of picking up, transporting and depositing bins, said robot comprising:
at least one gripping and lifting element to grip and lift at least one bin; and
wheels; and
a plurality of removable covers above said grid, each being substantially contiguous with at least one other of the covers adjacent thereto and the covers extending substantially over an entire surface of a cell of said grid and said covers forming a circulation platform for said robot, wherein said robot comprises a pushing or pulling element to push or pull said covers enabling said covers to be changed in position to free access to an upper part of said columns,
wherein at least one of said covers is slidably mounted between a first position in which the cover closes off a top of a respective column of the plurality of storage columns and a second position, in which said cover is housed under another of the covers adjacent thereto in said first position, thereby freeing access to the top of that column.