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Transferring shuttle for three dimensional automated warehouse

  • US 8,790,061 B2
  • Filed: 10/27/2008
  • Issued: 07/29/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A transferring shuttle for use in a three-dimensional automated warehouse equipped with a pair of stacked racks for travelling between and passing and receiving packages (P) to and from said pair of stacked racks, said shuttle comprising:

  • a mobile platform which can move horizontally in a direction of motion between said racks, said mobile platform including a package carrying area that is adapted to carry a package (P);

    extendable units on opposite sides of said carrying area in the direction of motion, each comprised of a fixed rail oriented in a storage direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of said shuttle, a first sliding rail oriented in the storage direction and slidingly attached to said fixed rail and a second sliding rail oriented in the storage direction and slidingly attached to said first sliding rail so that said second rail can slide in the same direction as the first sliding rail;

    a first terminal finger positioned adjacent a first end of each of said second sliding rails;

    a second terminal finger positioned adjacent a second opposite end of each of said second sliding rails;

    a first inner finger positioned between said first and second terminal fingers on each of said second sliding rails; and

    a second inner finger separated from said first inner finger and positioned between said first and second terminal fingers on each of said second sliding rails, wherein said fingers can be operated between extended positions protruding toward said package carrying area and contracted positions receding away from said package carrying area, wherein the first inner finger is closer to the first terminal finger than to the second terminal finger, wherein a distance D1 between said first inner finger and said second terminal finger is large enough so that a package (P) can be placed in between said first inner finger and said second terminal finger, wherein said second inner finger is closer to the second terminal finger than to the first terminal finger, wherein a distance D2 between said second inner finger and said first terminal finger is large enough so that a package (P) can be placed in between said second inner finger and the first terminal finger, wherein said extendable units are extendable into both said stacked racks and wherein distances D1 and D2 are each greater than half a dimension of the mobile platform in the storage direction, wherein a package (P) having a dimension in the storage direction that is greater than half the mobile platform can be stored to and retrieved from two rows on each of said pair of stacked racks with said first and second sliding rails, wherein the two rows are at different distances from said mobile platform, wherein one of said inner fingers that is positioned closest to said mobile platform can store a package (P) to a farthest one of said rows that is farthest from said mobile platform with said first and second sliding rails fully extended and wherein one of said terminal fingers that is positioned farthest from said mobile platform can retrieve a package (P) from the farthest one of said rows with said first and second sliding rails fully extended.

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