US 12,145,801 B2
Automated storage and retrieval system comprising a storage container lift assembly
Trond Austrheim, Etne (NO)
Assigned to AutoStore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
Appl. No. 17/051,036
Filed by Autostore Technology AS, Nedre Vats (NO)
PCT Filed May 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/064063
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 27, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/229170, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 5, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 20180750 (NO), filed on May 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0229917 A1, Jul. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. B65G 1/06 (2006.01); B65G 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/065 (2013.01) [B65G 1/0414 (2013.01); B65G 1/0464 (2013.01); B65G 1/0471 (2013.01); B65G 1/0492 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated storage and retrieval system comprising:
a track system comprising a first set of parallel tracks arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel tracks arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, which first and second sets of tracks form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane comprising a plurality of adjacent grid cells, each grid cell comprising a grid opening defined by a pair of neighboring tracks of the first set of tracks and a pair of neighboring tracks of the second set of tracks;
a plurality of storage columns each column being arranged to store a respective stack of storage containers, wherein the storage columns are located beneath the track system, wherein each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening;
a plurality of container handling vehicles for lifting and moving storage containers stacked in the stacks, each container handling vehicle being configured to operate on the track system above the storage columns;
at least one transfer vehicle, arranged to:
extract, from a stack, at least one storage container that has been stored in the stack through operation of one of the container handling vehicles; and
transport the extracted at least one storage container in a horizontal plane which is located above the container handling vehicle,
at least one storage container lift assembly comprising at least one movable lifting member, wherein each movable lifting member is arranged to receive at least one storage container from the transfer vehicle, and the at least one movable lifting member is arranged for vertical movement to and from the plane where the transfer vehicle of the system operates.