STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

• US 20190322453A1
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BEUMER Group A/S (BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: BEUMER Group A/S (BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Lykkegaard, Uffe
• Granted Patent: US 11,505,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0407 using stacker cranes constructional features of stacker cranes B66F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/02 Articles

Abstract

There is disclosed agiotage and retrieval system e.g. suitable for use in an airport and for aircraft baggage. In order e.g. to provide such system which improves usage and availability in view of the prior-art, a control system controls the system in two modes of operation. In a first mode of operation, a first rack region serving device (110) is only serving a first rack region 104 using a first feeding and extraction conveyor system (114), and a second rack region serving device (112) is only serving a second rack region (106) using a second feeding and extraction conveyor system (116). In a second mode of operation, only the first rack region serving device (110) is used for serving both the first and second rack regions (104, 106), and only the first feeding and extraction conveyor system (114) is used for feeding articles to the first rack region serving device (110) and for taking away articles from the first rack region serving device (110).

Claims

1. A storage and retrieval system comprising:

a plurality of racks, each of said racks arranged for storing articles next to and above each other,

the plurality of racks is divided into at least two rack regions, a first rack region and a second rack region, where a boundary between the first rack region and the second rack region is vertical or substantially vertical,

a bottom rail extending in a longitudinal direction along the first rack region and the second rack region,

a first rack region serving device arranged to travel along the bottom rail, and arranged to insert articles to the first rack region (104) and arranged to retrieve articles from the first rack region,

a second rack region serving device arranged to travel along the bottom rail, and arranged to insert articles to the second rack region and arranged to retrieve articles from the second rack region,

a first feeding and extraction conveyor system for feeding articles to the first rack serving device and for taking away articles from the first rack serving device,

a second feeding and extraction conveyor system for feeding articles to the second rack serving device and for taking away articles from the second rack serving device, and where the storage and retrieval system further comprises;

a control system for controlling the storage and retrieval system so that, in a first mode of operation;

the first rack region serving device) is only serving the first rack region using the first feeding and extraction conveyor system,

the second rack region serving device is only serving the second rack region using the second feeding and extraction conveyor system, and in a second mode of operation;

only the first rack region serving device is used for serving both the first rack region (104) and the second rack region, and

only the first feeding and extraction conveyor system is used for feeding articles to the first rack region serving device and for taking away articles from the first rack region serving device.

2. The storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the control system is adapted to use the second mode of operation in situations when the second rack region serving device or the second feeding and extraction conveyor system is having maintenance carried out, or when the second rack region serving device or the second feeding and extraction conveyor system is at least partly having a malfunction.

3. The storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the first rack region serving device and the second rack region serving device are arranged to move vertically, each using a separate vertically extending rail.

4. The storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the first rack region serving device and the second rack region serving device are provided with separate data communication systems.

5. The storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the first rack region serving device and the second rack region serving device are provided with separate electrical power supply systems.

6. The storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the first feeding and extraction conveyor system and the second feeding and extraction conveyor system are provided with separate electrical power supply systems.

10. Use of a storage and retrieval system according to claim 1, where the articles comprise airport baggage.

7. A method of storing and retrieving articles for a storage and retrieval system, the storage and retrieval system comprising:

a plurality of racks, each of said racks arranged for storing articles next to and above each other,

the plurality of racks is divided into at least two rack regions, a first rack region (104) and a second rack region, where a boundary between the first rack region and the second rack region is vertical or substantially vertical,

a bottom rail extending in a longitudinal direction along the first rack region and the second rack region,

a first rack region serving device arranged to travel along the bottom rail, and arranged to insert articles to the first rack region and arranged to retrieve articles from the first rack region,

a second rack region serving device arranged to travel along the bottom rail, and arranged to insert articles to the second rack region and arranged to retrieve articles from the second rack region,

a first feeding and extraction conveyor system for feeding articles to the first rack serving device and for taking away articles from the first rack serving device,

a second feeding and extraction conveyor system for feeding articles to the second rack serving device and for taking away articles from the second rack serving device, and where the storage and retrieval system further comprises;

a control system for controlling the storage and retrieval system, and where the method comprises;

operating the storage and retrieval system in two modes of operation, a first and a second mode of operation so that,

in a first mode of operation;

the first rack region serving device is only serving the first rack region using the first feeding and extraction conveyor system,

the second rack region serving device is only serving the second rack

region using the second feeding and extraction conveyor system, and in a second mode of operation;

only the first rack region serving device is used for serving both the first rack region and the second rack region, and

only the first feeding and extraction conveyor system is used for feeding articles to the first rack region serving device and for taking away articles from the first rack region serving device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second mode of operation is used in situations when the second rack region serving device is having maintenance carried out.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising moving the second rack region serving device all the way to one side in the longitudinal direction of the bottom rail prior to the second mode of operation.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second mode of operation is used in situations when the second feeding and extraction conveyor system is having maintenance carried out.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second mode of operation is used in situations when the second rack region service device is at least partly having a malfunction.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second mode of operation is used in situations when the second feeding and extraction conveyor system is having maintenance carried out.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second mode of operation is used in situations when the second feeding and extraction conveyor system is at least partly having a malfunction.