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Autonomous transports for storage and retrieval systems

  • US 9,321,591 B2
  • Filed: 04/11/2013
  • Issued: 04/26/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An automated case unit storage system for handling case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising:

  • an array of multilevel storage racks having predefined storage areas at each rack level so that at least one corresponding predetermined storage area is disposed in a common level of each rack level;

    a controller configured to effect dynamic allocation of case units of dissimilar sizes into dynamically allocated and sized storage areas of the at least one corresponding storage area on each rack level in the array of multilevel storage racks; and

    an independent autonomous transport vehicle operatively connected to the controller, the independent autonomous transport vehicle being configured for independently traversing an aisle or deck within one level of the multilevel storage racks and for transferring the case units to or from the predefined storage areas, the independent autonomous transport vehicle includingan independent frame,a support shelf adapted for holding at least one case unit thereon, the support shelf being movably connected to the independent frame so that the support shelf is movable between extended and retracted positions,a drive system mounted to the independent frame, andguiding devices mounted to the independent frame;

    where the independent autonomous transport vehicle is configured to effect dynamic allocation of case units of dissimilar sizes into the dynamically allocated storage areas so that a mix of the dissimilarly sized case units are each disposed by the autonomous transport vehicle into corresponding dissimilarly sized storage areas of the dynamically allocated storage areas of the common level of the at least one corresponding storage area of each rack level of the multilevel storage racks in the array of the multilevel storage racks.

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