Automated bot transfer arm drive system

• US 10,227,177 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2018
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Inventors: Sullivan, Robert, Toebes, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Logan, Kyle O
• Application Number:
  US15/913,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20180194555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 700218
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles

Abstract

An autonomous transport vehicle including a transfer arm including at least one finger and a movable finger support member, at least one sensor configured to detect movement of the at least one finger, the at least one sensor having a registration member and a detection member where one of the registration member and detection member is mounted to each of the at least one finger so as to be movable with a respective one of the at least one finger and the other one of the registration member and detection member is stationary relative to the at least one finger, and a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, the controller being configured to determine a position of the at least one finger along the second direction based on a proximity of the registration member relative to the detection member.

Claims

1. A method for operating an automated storage and retrieval system, the method comprising:

providing a storage space with at least one level having at least one storage rack with rack storage locations;

providing at least one autonomous transport vehicle having a transfer arm including at least one finger and a movable finger support member, the at least one finger being movably coupled to the movable finger support member, the at least one autonomous transport vehicle and the at least one storage rack being disposed so as to define random access storage to each rack storage location of the at least one storage rack;

moving the movable finger support member in a first direction relative to a reference frame of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle and moving the at least one finger linearly relative to the movable finger support member in a second direction substantially perpendicular to both the first direction in the reference frame of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle and a travel surface on which the at least one autonomous transport vehicle travels, the at least one finger having incremental indexed positions between ends of the range of motion in the second direction where the incremental indexed positions between ends of the range of motion set different incremental indexed positions of the at least one finger in the second direction; and

setting, with a controller, an incremental indexed position of the at least one finger to one of the incremental indexed positions between ends of the range of motion in the second direction that is different than the incremental indexed position set for another of the at least one finger movably coupled to the movable finger support member and moving the movable finger support member in the first direction so as to effect transfer of pickfaces to and from the rack storage locations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, with at least one sensor, movement of the at least one finger in the second direction relative to the movable finger support member, where the at least one sensor includes a registration member and a detection member where one of the registration member and detection member is mounted to each of the at least one finger so as to be linearly movable with and by movement of a respective one of the at least one finger and the other one of the registration member and detection member is stationary relative to the at least one finger.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is an optical, capacitive, or inductive sensor.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the registration member comprises a reflective flag or a magnetic source.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the autonomous transport vehicle with a drive unit for each of the at least one finger; and

actuating, with the controller, the drive unit for each of the at least one finger so each of the at least one finger are moved along the second direction substantially in unison.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive unit for each of the at least one finger includes a stepper motor.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the autonomous transport vehicle with an inertial sensor coupled to the controller; and

detecting, with the inertial sensor, a tilt of the autonomous transport vehicle relative to a horizontal plane.

8. An autonomous transport vehicle comprising:

a transfer arm including at least one finger and a movable finger support member, the at least one finger being movably coupled to the movable finger support member so that the movable finger support member moves in a first direction relative to a reference frame of the autonomous transport vehicle and the at least one finger moves linearly relative to the movable finger support member in a second direction substantially perpendicular to both the first direction in the reference frame of the autonomous transport vehicle and a travel surface on which the autonomous transport vehicle travels;

incremental indexed positions, of the at least one finger, between ends of the range of motion in the second direction where the incremental indexed positions between ends of the range of motion set different incremental indexed positions of the at least one finger in the second direction; and

a controller configured to set an incremental indexed position of the at least one finger to one of incremental indexed positions between ends of the range of motion in the second direction that is different than the incremental indexed position set for another of the at least one finger movably coupled to the movable finger support member,

wherein the autonomous transport vehicle and at least one storage rack, with rack storage locations, of a storage space are disposed so as to define random access storage to each rack storage location of the at least one storage rack and the finger support member moves in the first direction so as to effect transfer of pickfaces to and from the rack storage locations.

9. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect movement of the at least one finger in the second direction relative to the movable finger support member, where the at least one sensor includes a registration member and a detection member where one of the registration member and detection member is mounted to each of the at least one finger so as to be linearly movable with and by movement of a respective one of the at least one finger and the other one of the registration member and detection member is stationary relative to the at least one finger.

10. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is an optical, capacitive, or inductive sensor.

11. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 9, wherein the registration member comprises a reflective flag or a magnetic source.

12. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 8, further comprising:

a drive unit for each of the at least one finger, where the controller is configured to actuate the drive unit for each of the at least one finger so each of the at least one finger are moved along the second direction substantially in unison.

13. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 8, wherein the drive unit for each of the at least one finger includes a stepper motor.

14. The autonomous transport vehicle of claim 8, further comprising:

an inertial sensor, coupled to the controller, where the inertial sensor is configured to detect a tilt of the autonomous transport vehicle relative to a horizontal plane.