Automated system for transporting payloads
First Claim
1. A storage and retrieval system comprising:
- autonomous robotic vehicles having a propulsion subsystem;
a multilevel container storage structure having a first group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers and a second group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers, a space being defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations;
multilevel guides traversing levels of the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations;
a horizontal level, the multilevel guides accessible from the horizontal level by the autonomous robotic vehicles;
a workstation configured to allow a picker to transfer items to and from containers at the workstation;
the propulsion subsystem of the autonomous robotic vehicles comprising;
a set of drive wheels configured to freely steer the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to;
maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to and from the workstation for the transfer of items to and from containers on the autonomous robotic vehicles, andmaneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, anda set of gears configured to engage the multilevel guides when the set of drive wheels maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, the set of gears configured to move the autonomous robotic vehicles between the levels of the multilevel container storage structure upon engaging the multilevel guides.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated warehouse storage system including a multilevel storage array is provided. Each aisle has a set of storage levels and each level has storage locations distributed along the aisle. The guideway network extending through the multilevel storage array is configured for autonomous vehicles to move along the guideway network within the multilevel storage array. The guideway network including an inter-aisle guideway spanning at least two of the multiple aisles and a set of guideway levels extending in an aisle of the multiple aisles and disposed so that each guideway level is at a different one of the storage levels and the vehicles on the guideway level can access the storage locations distributed along the aisle. Each set of guideway levels is connected to the inter-aisle guideway forming a common guideway path so that a vehicle can move between inter-aisle guideway and each guideway level along the common guideway path.
115 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A storage and retrieval system comprising:
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autonomous robotic vehicles having a propulsion subsystem; a multilevel container storage structure having a first group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers and a second group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers, a space being defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations; multilevel guides traversing levels of the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations; a horizontal level, the multilevel guides accessible from the horizontal level by the autonomous robotic vehicles; a workstation configured to allow a picker to transfer items to and from containers at the workstation; the propulsion subsystem of the autonomous robotic vehicles comprising; a set of drive wheels configured to freely steer the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to; maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to and from the workstation for the transfer of items to and from containers on the autonomous robotic vehicles, and maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, and a set of gears configured to engage the multilevel guides when the set of drive wheels maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, the set of gears configured to move the autonomous robotic vehicles between the levels of the multilevel container storage structure upon engaging the multilevel guides. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A storage and retrieval system comprising:
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autonomous robotic vehicles having a propulsion subsystem; a multilevel container storage structure having a first group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers and a second group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers, a space being defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations; multilevel guides traversing levels of the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations; a horizontal level, the multilevel guides accessible from the horizontal level by the autonomous robotic vehicles; a workstation on the horizontal level configured to allow a picker to transfer items to and from the containers, the workstation comprising a picker-height position at which containers are presented to the picker, wherein the picker-height position of the workstation is elevated above the horizontal level; the propulsion subsystem of the autonomous robotic vehicles comprising; a set of drive wheels configured to freely steer the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to; maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to and from the workstation for the transfer of items to and from containers on the autonomous robotic vehicles, and maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, and a set of gears configured to engage the multilevel guides when the set of drive wheels maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, the set of gears configured to move the autonomous robotic vehicles between the levels of the multilevel container storage structure upon engaging the multilevel guides. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A storage and retrieval system comprising:
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autonomous robotic vehicles having a propulsion subsystem; a multilevel container storage structure having a first group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers and a second group of multilevel storage locations configured to store the containers, a space being defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations; multilevel guides traversing levels of the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations; a horizontal level, the multilevel guides accessible from the horizontal level by the autonomous robotic vehicles; a workstation on the horizontal level, the workstation configured to allow a picker to transfer items from a first of the containers to a second of the containers, the first container positioned at a pick position of the workstation, and the second container positioned at a put position of the workstation; the propulsion subsystem of the autonomous robotic vehicles comprising; a set of drive wheels configured to freely steer the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to; maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to and from the workstation for the transfer of items to and from containers on the autonomous robotic vehicles, and maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, and a set of gears configured to engage the multilevel guides when the set of drive wheels maneuver the autonomous robotic vehicles around the horizontal level to the space defined between the first and second groups of multilevel storage locations, the set of gears configured to move the autonomous robotic vehicles between the levels of the multilevel container storage structure upon engaging the multilevel guides. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification