Autonomous transport vehicle

• US 10,414,586 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Inventors: Holwell, Justin, Toebes, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snelting, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US15/425,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20170210563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 414273, 414401, 414402, 180168, 701 25, 364424
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0492 with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles

Abstract

An autonomous transport vehicle including a frame having a longitudinal axis extending from a front of the frame to a back of the frame, at least one first guide member mounted on one side of the frame and having a first guide member frame of reference, and at least one second guide member mounted to an opposite side of the frame than the at least one first guide member and having a second guide member frame of reference, wherein the first and second guide members are asymmetrically compliant guide members so that a stiffness of the at least one first guide member in response to a force in a predetermined direction relative to the first guide member frame of reference is different than a stiffness of the at least second guide member in response to the force in the predetermined direction relative to the second guide member frame of reference.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an autonomous transport vehicle, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame having a longitudinal axis extending from a front of the frame to a back of the frame;

mounting at least one first guide member on one side of the frame, the at least one first guide member having a first guide member frame of reference; and

mounting at least one second guide member to an opposite side of the frame than the at least one first guide member, the at least one second guide member having a second guide member frame of reference;

wherein the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member are asymmetrically compliant guide members so that a stiffness of the at least one first guide member in response to a force in a predetermined direction relative to the first guide member frame of reference is different than a stiffness of the at least one second guide member in response to the force in the predetermined direction relative to the second guide member frame of reference and a stiffness of the at least one first guide member at a respective guide surface in response to a force in a different predetermined direction relative to the first guide member frame of reference is the same as a stiffness of the at least one second guide member at a respective guide surface in response to the force in the different predetermined direction relative to the second guide member frame of reference.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

pivotally mounting a first yoke of the at least one first guide member to the frame about a first pivot member and mounting a first engagement member to the first yoke, and

pivotally mounting a second yoke of the at least one second guide member to the frame about a second pivot member and mounting a second engagement member to the second yoke.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first engagement member is longitudinally offset from the first pivot member.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second engagement member is transversely aligned with the second pivot member.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member comprise rotatable wheels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first guide member comprises two first guide members and the at least one second guide member comprises two second guide members, the method further comprising disposing the two first guide members on a first side of the autonomous transport vehicle and disposing the two second guide members on a second opposite side of the autonomous transport vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transporting items between the autonomous transport vehicle and storage shelves of a storage and retrieval system and maintaining, with the at least one second guide member, a predetermined transverse distance between the autonomous transport vehicle and items stored on the storage shelves.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising guiding the autonomous transport vehicle along a substantially straight path, with the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member that are configured to interface with a first guide rail and a second guide rail of a storage and retrieval system where the first guide rail and the second guide rail are located on opposite sides of the autonomous transport vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one of the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member is configured to engage one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail such that another one of the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member is held against another one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising directing a respective one of the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member into engagement with a respective one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail, where the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member are configured to interface with a first contoured guide member and a second contoured guide member extending from respective ones of the first guide rail and the second guide rail where the first contoured guide member and the second contoured guide member have opposing contours.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous transport vehicle is configured to travel along at least picking aisles of a storage and retrieval system and the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member are configured such that the autonomous transport vehicle can enter the picking aisles with a front of the autonomous transport vehicle leading or trailing a direction of travel of the autonomous transport vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first guide member and the at least one second guide member are configured such that the autonomous transport vehicle can enter a conveyor interface section of a storage and retrieval system with a front of the autonomous transport vehicle leading or trailing a direction of travel of the autonomous transport vehicle.

13. A method for transporting items in a storage and retrieval system where the storage and retrieval system includes picking aisles adjacent item storage locations, the method comprising:

providing an automated transport vehicle including a frame having a front end, a back end and a longitudinal axis extending between the front and back ends;

disposing a pair of first guide members on a first side of the frame where one of the pair of first guide members is disposed adjacent the front end and the other of the pair of first guide members is disposed adjacent the back end, each guide member of the pair of first guide members having a first guide member frame of reference;

disposing a pair of second guide members on a second side of the frame, opposite the first side, where one of the pair of second guide members is disposed adjacent the front end and the other of the pair of second guide members is disposed adjacent the back end, each guide member of the pair of second guide members having a second guide member frame of reference; and

controlling the automated transport vehicle to one or more of

enter a picking aisle with the front end leading a direction of travel of the automated transport vehicle to pick or place the items in the storage locations, the automated transport vehicle being guided by one of the pair of first guide members or pair of second guide members, or

enter the picking aisle with the back end leading a direction of travel of the automated transport vehicle to pick or place the items in the storage locations, the automated transport vehicle being guided by the other of the pair of first guide members or pair of second guide members;

wherein the pair of first guide members and the pair of second guide members are asymmetrically compliant so that a stiffness of each one of the pair of first guide members in response to a force in a predetermined direction relative to a respective first guide member frame of reference is different than a stiffness of each one of the pair of second guide members in response to the force in the predetermined direction relative to a respective second guide member frame of reference.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a stiffness of each one of the pair of first guide members at a respective guide surface in response to a force in a different predetermined direction relative to the first guide member frame of reference is the same as a stiffness of each one of the pair of second guide members at a respective guide surface in response to the force in the different predetermined direction relative to the second guide member frame of reference.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each guide member of the pair of first guide members is configured to pivot relative to the frame when a resultant force applied to the guide wheel is at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining, with the pair of first guide members, the autonomous transport vehicle at a predetermined distance within the picking aisles from items in the storage locations.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the storage and retrieval system further includes conveyor interface sections and the pair of first guide members and the pair of second guide members are configured to allow the autonomous transport vehicle to traverse the conveyor interface section with either the front end or back end leading a direction of travel through the conveyor interface section.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more of the pair of first guide members and the pair of second guide members comprise rotatable wheels.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising guiding the autonomous transport vehicle along a substantially straight path, where the pair of first guide members and the pair of second guide members are configured to interface with a first guide rail and a second guide rail of the storage and retrieval system where the first guide rail and second guide rail are located on opposite sides of the autonomous transport vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein one of the pair of first guide members and the pair of second guide members is configured to engage one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail such that another one of the pair of first guide members and the pair of second guide members is held against another one of the first guide rail and the second guide rail.