Maintenance access zones for storage and retrieval systems

• US 9,463,925 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Inventors: Cyrulik, Michael, Sullivan, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US14/244,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/06 with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level B65G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/40 Safety features of loads, equipment or persons
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/883 Fixed stop

Abstract

A maintenance access system for a storage and retrieval system having a storage and retrieval space and automated transport vehicles disposed in the space. The system includes at least one maintenance access control unit associated with a portion of the space, at least one barrier in the space and defining a boundary of the portion of the space and configured to substantially prevent the passage of the vehicles past the at least one barrier, and a controller connected to the control unit, the controller being configured to receive a signal from the at least one control unit for isolating the portion of the space associated with the at least one control unit, where the controller in response to the signal closes the at least one barrier isolating the portion of the space and effects the removal from or shutting down of vehicles within the portion of the space.

Claims

1. An automated warehouse system comprising:

multiple rows of storage rack modules;

picking aisles disposed between and defined by the multiple rows of storage racks, each picking aisle including an access gateway configured to prevent operator access to a respective picking aisle;

at least one autonomous transport vehicle disposed in the picking aisles and being configured to travel along the picking aisles for transferring items to and from the storage rack modules adjacent the picking aisles;

a control device connected with at least one access gateway and configured to effect operator access to at least one predetermined picking aisle through the at least one access gateway; and

a controller connected to the control device and the at least one autonomous vehicle, the controller being configured to

effect operation of the at least one autonomous vehicle and transfer of the items to and from the storage rack modules when the control device is deactivated, and

receive a signal from the control device for providing access through the at least one access gateway to the at least one predetermined picking aisle, where the controller in response to the signal shuts down the at least one autonomous transport vehicle within the at least one predetermined picking aisle while allowing continued operation of other autonomous transport vehicles in picking aisles that are different than the at least one predetermined picking aisle.

2. The automated warehouse system of claim 1, wherein the at least one autonomous transport vehicle includes a transfer arm configured to transfer items to and from the storage rack modules.

3. The automated warehouse system of claim 1, wherein the at least one autonomous transport vehicle is configured to transfer case units to and from the storage rack modules adjacent the picking aisles.

4. The automated warehouse system of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined picking aisle forms a maintenance access zone.

5. The automated warehouse system of claim 4, wherein the at least one predetermined picking aisle includes a horizontal array of picking aisles forming a horizontal array of maintenance access zones.

6. The automated warehouse system of claim 1, further comprising a transfer deck that provides the at least one autonomous transport vehicle access to at least one of one or more picking aisles and one or more vertical lift transfer areas.

7. The automated warehouse system of claim 1, further comprising a vertical lift transfer area that allows the at least one autonomous transport vehicle to transfer items between a vertical lift and the picking aisles.

8. The automated warehouse system of claim 1, wherein the picking aisles include rails configured to support the at least autonomous transport vehicle for travel through a respective picking aisle, where the rails provide access to one or more storage levels of the respective picking aisle.

9. An automated warehouse system comprising:

a multilevel storage structure including a plurality of storage locations arranged on sides of picking aisles disposed in rows on each level so that the picking aisles of a respective row are stacked one above the other;

at least one autonomous transport vehicle configured to travel along the stacked picking aisles for transferring items to and from the storage locations; and

maintenance access zones disposed within and coincident with the stacked picking aisles and defined at least in part by the sides with the storage locations of the stacked picking aisles in at least one row so that each maintenance access zone provides continuous access to multiple levels of the stacked picking aisles that are in communication with each other and storage locations on sides corresponding to the multiple levels of picking aisles.

10. The automated warehouse system of claim 9, wherein the at least one autonomous transport vehicle includes a transfer arm configured to transfer items to and from the storage locations.

11. The automated warehouse system of claim 9, wherein the at least one autonomous transport vehicle is configured to transfer case units to and from the storage locations.

12. The automated warehouse system of claim 9, wherein the rows form a horizontal array of picking aisles that form a horizontal array of maintenance access zones.

13. The automated warehouse system of claim 9, further comprising a transfer deck that provides the at least one autonomous transport vehicle access to at least one of one or more picking aisles and one or more vertical lift transfer areas.

14. The automated warehouse system of claim 9, further comprising a vertical lift transfer area that allows the at least one autonomous transport vehicle to transfer items between a vertical lift and the storage locations.

15. The automated warehouse system of claim 9, wherein the picking aisles include rails configured to support the at least autonomous transport vehicle for travel through a respective picking aisle, where the rails provide access to storage locations on one or more of the multiple levels of the stacked picking aisles.

16. The automated warehouse system of claim 9, wherein the multiple levels of the stacked picking aisles are arranged in a vertical stack and the a picking aisle at a bottom of the vertical stack includes a floor and picking aisles above the picking aisle at the bottom of the vertical stack for a respective maintenance access zone are substantially floorless.

17. An automated warehouse system comprising:

a multilevel storage structure including a plurality of storage locations arranged on sides of picking aisles disposed in rows on each level so that the picking aisles of a respective row are stacked one above the other;

at least one autonomous transport vehicle configured to travel along the stacked picking aisles for transferring items to and from the storage locations;

maintenance access zones disposed coincident with and defined at least in part by the stacked picking aisles in at least one row, where each maintenance access zone provides access to multiple levels of the stacked picking aisles that are in communication with each other and storage locations corresponding to the multiple levels of picking aisles;

a maintenance access zone control device configured to effect operator access to at least one predetermined picking aisle of a respective maintenance access zone; and

a controller connected to the maintenance access control device and the at least one autonomous vehicle, the controller being configured to

effect operation of the at least one autonomous vehicle, and

receive a signal from the maintenance access zone control device for providing access to the at least one predetermined picking aisle, where the controller in response to the signal shuts down the at least one autonomous transport vehicle within the at least one predetermined picking aisle while allowing continued operation of other autonomous transport vehicles in picking aisles that are different than the at least one predetermined picking aisle.

18. A method of operating an automated warehouse system having storage rack modules, picking aisles disposed between and defined by the storage rack modules where each picking aisle include an access gateway, and at least one autonomous transport vehicle for transferring items to and from the storage rack modules through the picking aisles, the method comprising:

effecting, with a control device connected to the access gateway, operator access to at least one predetermined picking aisle through the access gateway;

effecting, with a controller connected to the control device and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, operation of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle and a transfer of items to and from the storage rack modules when the control device is deactivated; and

providing, with the controller upon receipt of a signal from the control device, access through the access gateway to the at least one predetermined picking aisle and shutting down the at least one autonomous transport vehicle within the at least one predetermined picking aisle while allowing continued operation of other autonomous transport vehicles in picking aisles that are different than the at least one predetermined picking aisle.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transferring case units to and from the storage rack modules with a transfer arm of the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one predetermined picking aisle forms a maintenance access zone.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one predetermined picking aisle includes a horizontal array of picking aisles forming a horizontal array of maintenance access zones.