INDUSTRIAL BATTERY CHARGING, STORAGE AND HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 20090139940A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sackett Material Handling Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sackett Material Handling Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Dwyer, Daniel J., Egger, Paul R., Maniscalco, Leonard J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,366,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/1.570
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0407 using stacker cranes constructional features of stacker cranes B66F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/256 Carrying devices, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery movement, storage, and charging system for large size batteries used in lift trucks includes spaced, parallel storage racks, each of which have multiple storage and charging bays. A battery transport tower is positioned in an aisle between the storage racks and is moveable horizontally between the two rows of racks. The tower includes an extendable fork lift mounted which may rotate around the axis of the tower as well as move vertically upwardly or downwardly on the tower. A battery exchanger loads a discharged battery from a lift truck, places it on a pallet and then transfers the pallet and battery to a transfer bay in a storage rack where the tower forklift moves a pallet and battery to a selected charging bay.

Claims

1. An industrial battery charging, storage, and handling system comprising, in combination:

a first storage rack comprising an array of storage bays, each storage bay including a front entry opening and a support floor, said storage bays forming a first grid of vertical and horizontal rows, said first storage rack including a bottom first transfer bay having a front entry opening and a back entry opening, said storage bays positioned above said transfer bays in said grid;

a second storage rack comprising an array of storage bays, each storage bay including a front entry opening and a support floor, said storage bays forming a second grid of vertical and horizontal rows;

said first storage rack and said second storage rack arranged generally parallel, and spaced from each other to define a passageway with the front entry openings of the first and second storage racks opposed and facing the passageway;

a pallet transporter mounted in the passageway intermediate the spaced first and second storage racks, said transporter including a movable carriage capable of vertical and horizontal movement between the first and second storage racks and including a pallet support platform capable of horizontal movement into the front entry openings of the storage bays of said first and second storage racks and into the front entry opening of the transfer bay of the first storage rack; and

said first storage rack further including an exchanger mechanism positioned opposite the back entry opening of said transfer bay, said exchanger moveable generally horizontally between at said transfer bay and a pallet loading system.

2. The system of claim 1 further including battery charging terminals in the storage bays.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the transporter comprises a vertical support tower mounted on a horizontal track, said carriage mounted on the support tower for vertical and rotational movement about an axis of the tower.

4. The system of claim 1 including a second transfer bay adjacent the first transfer bay and wherein said exchanger includes a first exchange bay and an adjacent second exchange bay.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said exchange bays each include a pallet support mechanism for transferring a pallet horizontally from said exchange bay to an aligned transfer bay.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said transporter includes a fork support which is horizontally moveable and a pallet compatible with the fork support, said pallet separate from the fork support.

7. An industrial battery storage and handling system comprising, in combination:

a first storage rack comprising an array of storage bays, at least two selected storage bays including a front entry opening and a support floor, said bays forming a grid of vertical and horizontal rows, said storage rack including at least one transfer bay having a front entry opening and a back entry opening;

a generally vertical battery and pallet transport tower mounted for horizontal movement along the front entry openings, said tower including a battery and pallet carrier mounted for vertical movement and horizontal movement;

a battery pallet sized for placement into a bay with a battery supported thereby, said pallet including a support bed and electric charging contacts for connection to a battery supported on said pallet; and

a battery exchanger mounted for movement into opposed relation to the back entry opening of the transfer bay, said exchanger moveable between said back entry opening and to a station adjacent the storage rack, said exchanger including a battery moving mechanism for moving a battery onto and off of said pallet.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said pallet comprises a tubular channel and said pallet carrier includes a fork insertable into the channel.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said exchanger includes an exchange bay with a support for a pallet and a battery gripping mechanism for engaging and moving a battery onto and from a pallet in the exchange bay.

10. The system of claim 7 including an exchanger track for guiding movement of the battery exchanger between the back entry opening of the transfer bay and a battery loading station.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the battery pallet comprises first and second, spaced parallel channels, a platform supported by said channels, a first electric brush and a second electric brush, said brushes projecting from the platform and first and second battery leads electrically connected respectively to the first and second brushes, said channels configured for engagement by a fork lift.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein storage bays include a first and a second contact terminal for electrical contact with said first and second brushes, respectively.

13. The system of claim 7 further including a battery charging system including charging terminals for said storage bays.

15. The system of claim 7 wherein said transport tower comprises a generally vertical tower having a fork lift, said tower and fork lift being independently movable.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said pallet includes channels for receipt of said fork lift.

14. The system of claim 14 further including a program controller for controlling the charging of a battery located on a pallet in a storage bay.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said program controller prioritizes the charging, storage, and removal from storage of batteries in accord with a set protocol.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the set protocol is FIFO.

19. An industrial battery charging, storage, and handling system comprising, in combination:

a first storage rack comprising an array of storage bays, each storage bay including a front entry opening and a support floor, said storage bays forming a first grid of vertical and horizontal rows, said first storage rack including at least one transfer bay having a front entry opening and a back entry opening;

a transporter mounted along one side of said storage front entry opening, said transporter including a movable carriage capable of vertical and horizontal movement and including a pallet support mechanism capable of horizontal movement into the front entry opening of the bays;

an item exchanger mechanism positioned along the back entry opening of said transfer bay, said item exchanger moveable horizontally between an item receipt station and said transfer bay; and

a pallet for one of said items, supportable on the item exchanger and moveable from said item exchanger into a transfer bay.

20. An industrial storage and handling system comprising, in combination:

a first storage rack comprising an array of storage bays, at least two selected storage bays including a front entry opening and a support floor, said bays forming a grid of vertical and horizontal rows, said storage rack including at least one transfer bay having a front entry opening and a back entry opening;

a generally vertical transport tower mounted for horizontal movement in opposed relation to the front entry openings, said tower including a pallet carrier mounted for vertical and rotational movement;

said pallet carrier further including a pallet lifter mounted thereon for horizontal movements;

a pallet sized for placement into a bay with an item supported thereby, said pallet including a support bed;

an exchanger mounted for movement into opposed relation to the back entry opening of the transfer bay, said exchanger moveable between said back entry opening and a station adjacent the storage rack, said exchanger including a moving mechanism for moving an item onto and off of said pallet.

21. A pallet for support of a battery comprising in combination:

first and second spaced channels, said channels open at one end for receipt of fork lift prongs;

at least one connecting plate joining the channels, said plate including

at least two slots there through intermediate the channels;

a pair of conductive brushes mounted intermediate the channels adjacent the other end of the channels; and

a

stop bracket on the plate adjacent to the other end of the channels.

22. An item exchanger for supporting an item on a pallet comprising in combination:

a carriage having first and second exchange bays arranged serially;

said bays having an entrance side and an opposite side;

a gripping mechanism mounted on each opposite side of the exchange bay and moveable over the exchange bay toward the entrance side, each said gripping mechanism including a gripper for engaging and moving an item adjacent the entry side into the exchange bay; and

a track for guided movement of the carriage generally transverse to the direction of movement of the gripping mechanism between an item acquisition station and an item discharge station.

23. The item exchanger of claim 23 further including pallet support rollers in the exchange bays, and item support rollers in the exchange bays, said pallet support rollers and item support rollers independently positionable to support a pallet and an item on said pallet respectively.