EA044777B1 - SELF-MOVING TROLLEY FOR AUTOMATIC PLACING AND REMOVING CONTAINERS IN THEIR STORAGE AREA IN THE RACKING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Description

Field of technology to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to the field of automatic warehouse logistics, and more specifically to autonomous carts for automatically placing and removing containers in a storage area in a racking system, an automatic storage system and a method for automatically placing and removing containers in a storage area in a racking system.

State of the art

Automatic storage systems with autonomous carts are known in the prior art. Such devices include storage levels that can be connected by an elevator. The lift is relatively complex and limits the throughput of the storage and retrieval system. A lift storage system typically consists of a number of moving and therefore structurally complex parts.

US 2017/0050803 A1 discloses an alternative storage system. To connect different storage levels to each other, it is proposed to use a conveyor belt instead of a lift. A conveyor belt transports items along inclined sections of the conveyor to interaction points at the storage level, where items can be picked up by carts that move along horizontal aisle paths. US 2014/277693 A1 describes a system for handling materials at multiple levels in a three-dimensional warehouse.

Carts are locked to their storage level and cannot change storage level. The transported object changes storage level using a conveyor belt. An object to be transported must be transferred, at a minimum, when the object is placed on a conveyor belt to move from one storage level to another storage level, when the object is picked up by a cart at the storage level to which it is to be moved, and possibly when the object transferred from the cart to the storage location. Transferring an object is time-consuming and the cart or conveyor belt may be idle, depending on the need to move the object at a particular storage level.

A set of tracks with a lift and/or conveyor belt is limited in its effectiveness by the idle phases of the carts, belt conveyor and/or lift when transferring objects on the conveyor belt or lift, respectively. Thus, the use of trolleys, conveyor belts and/or elevators is limited. The belt conveyor and elevator require design considerations, and the economic efficiency of systems with such devices can be increased. Thus, it is desirable to avoid limiting the complexity of the elevator or conveyor belt.

EP 3370194 A1 describes a warehouse management system with ramps instead of an elevator. Multiple carts may cross the track arrangement on any of the storage levels. Carts can change the storage level of racks using ramps that connect adjacent storage levels. Rails and ramps are arranged so that each cart can follow the perceived best route between its current location and, for example, a facility and/or storage location. Several carts can choose a route with a direction of travel opposite to the direction of movement of other carts. Consequently, the carts could potentially collide with each other. To avoid a collision, the cart can recalculate and change its route. A reroute implies that the previously selected perceived best route was potentially not optimal, and that the cart chose a route that is longer than necessary. Due to the presence of multiple carts and the potential for online route planning by autonomous carts, such a potential accident is unlikely to be determined in advance. Due to a change in route, the time required to transport a site may increase in ways that are difficult to predict. This can reduce the congestion of the interaction area and the overall efficiency of the storage system.

WO 2005/077789 A1 and WO 2016/010429 A1 disclose warehouse management systems with vehicles that are capable of moving along a two-dimensional horizontal track grid at a certain level, with the vehicles changing levels using one or more lifts.

The essence of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to safely and efficiently transport objects in racking structures for automatic placement and retrieval of objects, which is cost effective and avoids occupancy restrictions when transporting, storing and retrieving objects.

The problem is solved by a self-propelled cart for automatically placing and retrieving containers in a storage rack device according to the present invention, a storage system according to the present invention, and a method for automatically placing and removing containers in a storage rack device according to the present disclosure.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a self-propelled cart for providing automatic placement and removal of containers in a storage racking arrangement, wherein the cart includes a first set of wheels for moving along a first axis and a second set of wheels for moving along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. axis, at

- 1 044777 wherein at least one of the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels is substantially movable vertically between a driving position and an idle position, the lower one of the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels being in a driving position and the upper one of the first group of wheels and the second group of wheels is in the idle position. The cart further comprises a support surface for placing the bottom surface of the container thereon, the cart further comprising a centering and fastening system for centering and fastening the container on the support surface, the centering and fastening system comprising at least two engagement elements that move simultaneously in opposite directions to each other between the open position and the container fixing position, wherein the engaging elements are configured to engage in the fastening position with the container to secure the container to the supporting surface.

The cart, in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, is thus capable of safely and efficiently transporting a container, which may be empty or at least partially filled with one or more materials, along ramps to transition between levels of a storage system. Thus, there is no need for complex and expensive lifts. In addition, the carts can be designed to have a relatively flat shape so that the carts can move under containers in a rack with a higher vertical warehouse density, since the space for carts to move under containers, limiting the vertical density of the warehouse, can be reduced. The fastening system allows trolleys to be designed without a recess for placing and securing a container or without side support walls for securing a container between them. Consequently, the containers do not necessarily need to be held laterally by their side walls, but may be secured solely by the bottom surface of the container. This has the additional positive effect that the trolley can thus be much more compact not only in height, but also in length and width. This is particularly beneficial for replacement, repair and maintenance of trolleys, which can be removed easily and economically. Preferably, the first set of wheels and/or the second set of wheels are integrated into the outer contour of the cart for the most compact design. However, in particular for the first group of wheels, it may be advantageous if the wheels at least partially extend beyond the outer contour of the bogie to protect the bogie from tipping over on inclined rails. The centering and fastening system effectively combines the locking effect and the centering effect by simultaneously moving the engaging elements in opposite directions to each other. In this way, the container is always centered on the trolley and securely fastened without side fastenings.

The simultaneous movement of the engaging elements in opposite directions to each other may be translational or rotational movement or a combination thereof. Preferably, the movement of the engaging elements is at least partially directed outward, i.e. away from the central vertical axis of symmetry and/or the central vertical plane of symmetry of the trolley. The centering effect of the simultaneous movement of the engaging elements in opposite directions is thus preferably achieved in the horizontal plane, i.e. along the first axis and/or along the second axis. The engaging elements are preferably arranged symmetrically to each other, i.e. preferably plane-symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane passing through the first axis or the second axis, or circularly symmetrical with respect to the central vertical axis of symmetry of the trolley. Accordingly, the engaging elements preferably move symmetrically between their open and locking positions.

If the container is positioned off-center on the cart support surface before the engaging elements reach the locking position, the engaging element on one side of the symmetry will contact the container before the engaging element on the opposite side of the symmetry. Thus, the contacting engaging element moves the container toward the center until the engaging element on the opposite side of the symmetry engages the container so that both engaging elements secure the container in a central position on the support surface. In other words, the at least two engaging elements together form a mutually corresponding pair of symmetrically arranged and movable engaging elements. In an alternative embodiment, the movement of the engaging elements may be at least partially inward, i.e. to the central vertical axis of symmetry and/or the central vertical plane of symmetry of the trolley.

For example, the engaging elements may be positioned vertically below the support surface in the open position and vertically above the support surface in the locking position. Therefore, the vertical position of the support surface may determine the overall height of the cart, at least in the non-operating position of the support surface. When an empty cart is driven into the rack to pick up a container, the cart must therefore be as flat as possible. In this way, the vertical density of the warehouse can be increased. Containers can be significantly taller than carts, for example 1.5 times or more.

For example, between the edges of the support surface and the edges of the cart along the second axis there may be

- 2 044777 distance. This is particularly advantageous if the carts enter the racks along the first axis and the containers are placed on the ledges of the racks along the first axis. When the container is stored in a warehouse, the edges of the bottom surface of the container along the second axis may be supported by a pair of rack protrusions extending along the first axis, while the remainder of the bottom surface can be freely accessible from below. Therefore, the distance from the edges of the supporting surface to the edges of the cart along the second axis leaves room for the rack protrusions. In other words, the length of the supporting surface along the second axis is preferably less than the distance between a pair of protrusions in the rack to be able to fit between the protrusions of the posts for raising and/or lowering the container from below.

Also, the engaging elements can be mechanically connected to each other and driven by a single locking motor. This is efficient in terms of space consumption and production costs. In addition, the mechanical connection between the engaging elements can ensure that they are always simultaneously driven in opposite directions to each other between the idle position and the locking position.

For example, the support surface may include at least three contact points to securely support the bottom surface of the container from below. Also, the support surface may be substantially movable vertically relative to the bottom of the first set of wheels while the second set of wheels is in a moving position. The supporting surface can be movable relative to only one of the set of wheel groups or relative to both groups at once. Therefore, the support surface may be passively movable relative to only one of the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels by moving said set of wheels, thus, it may have a fixed position relative to the other set of wheels. Preferably, the supporting surface is actively movable relative to both sets of wheels and the rest of the cart. Thus, the vertical position of the supporting surface is independent of the vertical position of any of the wheel groups.

According to the present invention, the first set of wheels and/or the second set of wheels are substantially moved vertically by at least one lifting motor. Preferably, only one of the groups of wheels is moved vertically by the at least one lifting motor relative to the rest of the cart. According to the present invention, the support surface is substantially moved vertically by the same or another at least one lifting motor.

Alternatively, the first group of wheels and the second group of wheels are driven by the same drive motor. For example, the first group of wheels and the second group of wheels can be driven simultaneously when the lower of the first group of wheels and the second group of wheels is in the drive position, and the upper of the first group of wheels and the second group of wheels is in the idle position. This is particularly efficient in terms of space consumption and cost. The additional power required to drive a group of wheels at idle speed is negligible.

In addition, the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels may be mechanically coupled to the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels by a transmission system, wherein the transmission system operates at a first gear ratio and a second gear ratio, wherein the transmission system is configured to drive the first set of wheels with a first gear ratio and for driving a second set of wheels with a second gear ratio, wherein the first gear ratio is at least twice, and preferably three times, greater than the second gear ratio. This is the second aspect of the present invention, which is particularly advantageous in combination with the first aspect, i.e. system for centering and securing the trolley, since it allows you to climb ramps along the first axis both efficiently and safely. However, this second aspect of the present invention is also preferred regardless of the first aspect, i.e. trolley centering and securing systems, as it can allow the trolley to climb steeper slopes along the first axis.

In addition, all wheels of the first wheel group and/or the second wheel group may be coupled to the drive motor for simultaneous driving. In particular, all-wheel drive for the first group of wheels can be useful when climbing ramps.

Also, the centering and fastening system includes at least one locking motor for simultaneously moving at least two engaging elements in opposite directions to each other between an open position and a locking position. The at least one locking motor is preferably one of the three motors of the trolley as a whole, i.e. drive motor, lifting motor and locking motor. All of the cart's motors can be powered by the same battery or by different batteries mounted on board the cart.

In addition, the first set of wheels may have a first wheelbase, and the second set of wheels may have a second wheelbase, the second wheelbase being significantly longer than the first wheelbase. It is the third aspect of the present invention that is particularly advantageous in combination with the first and/or second aspect since it provides better ground clearance for entering and exiting ramps

- 3 044777 along the first axis and thus allows for more efficient and safe transport of containers along ramps along the first axis. However, this third aspect of the present disclosure is also advantageous regardless of the other aspects, since it can allow the cart to enter/travel steeper slopes along the first axis.

Also, the length of the cart along the second axis is significantly greater than the width of the cart along the first axis. This is especially beneficial in combination with the aforementioned third aspect of the larger wheelbase of the second wheel group.

In accordance with another dependent or independent aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic storage system comprising at least one self-propelled cart as described above and a plurality of containers for automatically storing and accessing them at storage locations in a storage rack arrangement extending over to storage levels, characterized in that each container contains a lower surface with receiving elements corresponding to the engaging elements of at least one self-propelled cart, while the receiving elements of the container have the same location relative to each other for all containers.

It is especially advantageous if all containers of the storage system have a standardized bottom surface with a specific arrangement of standardized receiving elements, so that the trolley can transport any of the containers. The containers may have different heights, but preferably should have the same lateral dimensions of length along the second axis and width along the first axis.

Also, the automatic storage system may further comprise a set of tracks comprising first rail tracks having a first track gauge and extending substantially along a first axis, and second rail tracks having a second track gauge and extending substantially along a second axis, wherein the width the first track is significantly larger than the width of the second track. To reduce the risk of bogies losing balance on railway tracks, the gauge should preferably be as wide as possible. This means that the wheels of both groups are preferably located at the ends of the bogie along the first axis and the second axis, respectively. Thus, the difference between the track widths is particularly advantageous in combination with the fact that the bogie along the second axle is longer than along the first axle.

In addition, the collection of paths may contain at least z levels of tracks, where Z > k, where k is the number of storage levels in the storage rack arrangement, the entry point at the mth level of the track for each interaction node, where m ® { 1,...,Z}, and an exit point at the nth track level for each interaction node, where n ® {1,...,Z}. From the entry point to the interaction point you can travel by trolley along the rails of the track layout. Through the exit point, the interaction point can be left by the cart along the track of the track device, the m-th track level is called the entry point level, and the n-th track level is called the exit point level. The entry point level is the track level where the track leads from the entry point to the interaction point. The exit point level is the path level where a path leads from the interaction point to the exit point. The track level at which the interaction point is located is called the interaction point level. All path levels, or at least a subset thereof, may correspond to storage levels in a rack storage system. However, in some embodiments, the path layout may contain auxiliary intermediate track levels in addition to the path levels that correspond to the storage levels. At the interaction site, the container carried by the cart may be emptied and/or filled or otherwise processed. During container handling, one or more batteries in the cart may be charged by a charger module located at the interaction site. Charging can be done inductively or through an electrical connection to the charger module.

According to another dependent or independent aspect of the present invention, the collection of paths further comprises, for each interaction location: Z - m first one-way ramps directed downward to the entry point, m - 1 second one-way ramps directed upward to the entry point, Z - n third one-way ramps , directed upward from the exit point, and n - 1 fourth one-way ramps directed downward from the exit point. In it, the one-way ramp is an inclined path. The first one-way ramp is a one-way ramp that extends from track level Z down to Z - 1, from Z - 1 to Z - 2, and from Z-m + 1 to Z - m. The second one-way ramp is a one-way inclined walkway that extends upward from the level of walkway 1 to 2, 2 to 3, ... and m - 1 to m. The third one-way ramp is a one-way ramp that extends upward from track level n to n+1. from n 1 to n+2, ... and from Z - 1 to Z. The fourth one-way ramp is a ramp with one-way traffic that goes down from path level n to n-1, from n-1 to n-2 and from 2 to 1.

One-way ramps ensure that the trolley can effectively change track levels. A vehicle from one track level can access any other track level by choosing a route along one or more one-way ramps leading to the selected storage level. The trolley can transport a container along one or more storage levels from interaction point to storage point or from storage point to interaction point along one-way ramps, i.e. Potentially time-consuming container transfers can be eliminated. The capacity of a set of tracks is determined by the tracks and carts and is not limited by other vehicles, such as an elevator or conveyor belt, and/or a cart that is idle waiting for said other vehicles. Thus, the complexity and design of the track assembly is relatively simple and contains only one or a few bogies as moving parts, making such a conveyance system cost-effective.

One-way ramps provide at least one first path, i.e. a path along which a cart can be moved between a storage level and an interaction location so that the container can be moved from a storage location to an interaction location, and at least one second path between the interaction location and any storage level so that the container can be moved from an interaction location to the storage location. This reduces the risk of a potential accident and, therefore, recalculation and rerouting.

Also, for each interaction point, the entry point and exit point can be located at the same level of the paths. In this embodiment, the interaction location can be reached from the same level of tracks from which the interaction location can be left. This is especially effective when the container must be stored at and/or retrieved from the storage level on which the interaction point is located. In this embodiment, the entry point level and the exit point level are identical for each interaction site to improve the efficiency of the layout and construction of the path layout. Alternatively, the level of the entry point may be different from the level of the interaction point. This can be particularly effective in providing a path without the risk of collision, for example when the path layout includes exactly one route through one-way ramps between the entry point and the interaction point.

In addition, one or more of the first one-way ramps, second one-way ramps, third one-way ramps, and/or fourth one-way ramps may be located to connect adjacent track levels to each other. This embodiment provides a track arrangement that allows a cart to move directly from one track level to an adjacent track level, i.e. from path level n е {1,...,Z} to the upper level of path n+1 е {1,...,Z} and/or to the lower level of path n - 1 е {1,...,Z }. This embodiment contains the shortest possible paths between adjacent storage tiers.

It is also possible that one or more of the first one-way ramps, the second one-way ramps, the third one-way ramps and/or the fourth one-way ramps may be configured to connect adjacent track levels to each other and/or at least two track levels to each other. each other having two or more levels of paths between said connected at least two levels of paths, i.e. such a one-way ramp extends over at least three track levels, but does not require connecting adjacent track levels. This embodiment provides a track arrangement that allows the cart to move directly from one track level to track level with at least one track level in between, i.e. from the path level n e {1,..., Z} to the storage level above n + s e {1,..., Z}, s >2 and/or to the storage level below n - s e {1,. ..,Z}, s >2. This embodiment may be particularly effective in providing a path to prevent potential cart collisions, thereby increasing transport efficiency.

In another possible implementation, the first one-way ramps may contain a first sequence of first ramps, the second one-way ramps may contain a second sequence of second ramps, the third one-way ramps may contain a third sequence of third ramps, and/or the fourth one-way ramps may contain a fourth sequence of fourth ramps. Preferably, the sequence of ramps may be a plurality of one-way ramps, wherein the exit point of one one-way ramp is identical to or close to the entry point of a subsequent one-way ramp, i.e. the cart can move along a sequence of ramps, crossing one-way ramps without crossing longer paths other than said one-way ramps. Preferably, each subsequent pair of one-way ramps in a sequence of ramps is connected to each other by one or two horizontal connection points. A sequence of ramps increases the efficiency of transporting a container from one level to another, passing through one or more levels between them.

Another possible option is that the plurality of paths may contain multiple interaction points for dispensing and/or retrieving multiple containers, preferably with multiple carts at the same time. Interaction points can be located on the same track level. Alternatively, at least two interaction points may be located at different path levels, which may improve the performance of an automatic storage and access system, for example when one

- 5 044777 the interaction location is located near storage locations that are accessed more frequently than other storage locations located further away from the specified interaction location.

Optionally, the first sequence of first one-way ramps, the second sequence of second one-way ramps, the third sequence of third one-way ramps, and/or the fourth sequence of fourth one-way ramps may be configured to connect any one of the storage locations to exactly one interaction location. The first sequence of first one-way ramps may preferably comprise Z - m first one-way ramps directed downward toward the entry point to the interaction location to which it connects. It is possible that the collection of paths comprises a plurality of first sequences of first one-way ramps, with any two first sequences of first one-way ramps configured to connect to different interaction locations. The second sequence of second one-way ramps comprises preferably m - 1 second one-way ramps directed upward towards the entry point. The third sequence of third one-way ramps comprises preferably Z - n third one-way ramps directed upward from the exit point. The fourth sequence of fourth one-way ramps comprises preferably n - 1 fourth one-way ramps directed downward from the exit point. Likewise, as explained with reference to a first sequence of first one-way ramps, the path arrangement may comprise a plurality of second sequences of second one-way ramps, third sequences of third one-way ramps, and/or fourth sequences of fourth one-way ramps, wherein any two of said sequences of one-way ramps are configured to connect to different interaction points. This is particularly effective as the risk of cart collisions on routes from the entry point to the interaction point can be significantly reduced.

Optionally, for each interaction location, a first sequence of first one-way ramps, a second sequence of second one-way ramps, a third sequence of third one-way ramps, and/or a fourth sequence of fourth one-way ramps may be configured to connect any one of the storage locations to exactly one interaction location. This embodiment reduces the risk of bogie collisions and allows for a modular arrangement of the track set, i.e. sequences of one-way ramps and corresponding interaction points may be periodically repeated transversely to the direction of passage along the rack structure, each periodic repetition may contain one or more of said sequences of one-way ramps and one or more interaction points.

Additionally, the collection of paths may comprise at least one bidirectional horizontal path connecting to all aisles at each storage level. A bi-directional horizontal walkway can connect any walkway to connection points, where a connection point connects a bi-directional horizontal walkway to one or more one-way ramps, i.e. the cart may travel a path between a storage location and an interaction location by crossing a horizontal walkway, a horizontal bidirectional walkway, and one or more one-way ramps. A bi-directional horizontal path can connect one or more aisle paths to one or more one-way ramps to provide multiple possible paths for carts.

Also, the set of paths may comprise a first horizontal one-way path connecting to all aisles at each level of the storage facility in a first direction of travel. The first horizontal one-way track can prevent the carts from colliding when they move along the horizontal one-way track. In this way, the cart can choose the optimal route, for example, between an interaction point and a storage location. You can do without recalculating and changing the trolley route, which increases the efficiency of container transportation.

Optionally, the collection of paths may comprise a second horizontal one-way path connecting to all aisles on each level of the storage facility in a reverse direction of travel opposite the first direction. The two horizontal one-way tracks of the rail system allow the cart to be moved in any horizontal direction, transverse to the direction of the aisle, for efficient movement to or from the aisle along the optimal route.

Additionally, at at least one storage level, a bidirectional horizontal walkway, a first horizontal one-way walkway, and/or a second horizontal one-way walkway may extend transversely to the direction of passage to improve the walkway layout design by providing a compact embodiment that allows for short paths. This embodiment particularly saves space in the direction of the passage in the front area of the rack storage, on which a plurality of tracks can be arranged.

It is also possible that a bidirectional horizontal track, the first horizontal one-way track and/or the second horizontal one-way track may be arranged in the direction

- 6 044777 passage between aisle paths and any of the first, second, third and/or fourth one-way ramps. This embodiment contains a minimum number of path intersections and thus provides a set of paths with a minimum probability of two cart paths intersecting at the same time.

Alternatively, the first one-way ramps, the second one-way ramps, the third one-way ramps, and/or the fourth one-way ramps may have a direction of travel transverse to the direction of passage to provide an efficient arrangement of one-way paths that saves space and provides shortcuts.

Optionally, the plurality of paths may comprise at least one connecting path, in which the connecting path extends in a direction of passage. The connecting track(s) may be bidirectional or unidirectional. The connecting path may extend along the aisles to allow the cart to move to and from the storage location on the same portion of the aisle path. In this embodiment, the plurality of tracks may be located on one side, for example in the front area of the racking device. The connecting track can extend beyond the aisle to allow carts to efficiently change between different tracks.

In addition, the at least one connecting track may include at least one connection point, wherein the connection point connects to each other at least two of the following elements: one or more horizontal tracks, one or more one-way tracks, and/or place of interaction. Those. a connection point is a section of a horizontal walkway that connects different parts of a set of paths, such as ramps and/or horizontal walkways, to each other. By aligning at least one connection point on the connecting track, the cart can effectively change between different tracks. Preferably, the connecting track comprises a plurality of connection points to enable the cart to efficiently change between the plurality of different tracks along the shortest path.

It is also possible that a series of first one-way ramps may be connected to each other by one or two horizontal connection points, and/or a sequence of second one-way ramps may be connected to each other by one or two horizontal connection points, and/or a sequence of third one-way ramps may be connected to each other by one or two horizontal connection points, and/or a series of fourth one-way ramps may be connected to each other by one or two horizontal connection points. A pair of ramp sequences may be connected through a connection point without any additional horizontal path between said ramps; in this embodiment, the ramp sequences are connected such that the path along the ramp sequences between multiple levels is of the shortest length.

Optionally, any connection point can be located on a three-dimensional grid, i.e. each connection point can define a 3D mesh point. This embodiment may improve the layout of a plurality of tracks and simplify the navigation and/or coordination of one or more carts. The grid provides clearly defined coordinates at grid points where connection points can be located. Not any of the grid points need to be a connection point, i.e. a mesh can contain a mesh point that is not a connection point.

Additionally, the mesh may contain Z levels of paths, Y rows of paths, and X columns of paths, where X, Y, Z e N, where each row of paths runs horizontally and transversely to the direction of passage, and each column of paths runs vertically, to ensure grid alignment and layout ways. Thus, a sequence of rows of tracks runs horizontally along the direction of passage, while a sequence of columns of tracks runs horizontally across the direction of passage. Path columns can be connected to each other by ramps. If the length of the ramps is L, and the angle of inclination of the ramps is α. the distance D between the path columns can be D = L sin α.

Also, the number of path levels can be equal to the number of storage levels, i.e. Z = k, at each storage level there can potentially be at least one connection point located. However, in some embodiments, the track layout may contain auxiliary intermediate track levels in addition to track levels that correspond to storage levels, i.e. Z > k. The number of rows of tracks is preferably three to five to provide a compact embodiment. An embodiment with three rows of tracks may include, at each level, a bidirectional horizontal track in the first row of tracks closest to the storage racks, positive-angle one-way ramps in the second row of tracks, and one-way negative-angle ramps in the third row of tracks. Alternatively, the second set of tracks may include one-way ramps with a negative slope, while the third set of tracks may contain one-way ramps with a positive slope. An embodiment with four rows of tracks may comprise, at each level, a first unidirectional horizontal track in a first horizontal direction of travel transverse to the travel direction yn of the first row of tracks, and a second unidirectional horizontal track in

- 7 044777 in the first horizontal direction, for movement in the opposite horizontal direction yn of the second row of tracks. The third row of tracks may contain one-way ramps with a positive (negative) slope, while the fourth row of tracks may contain one-way ramps with a negative (positive) slope. The five rows of tracks embodiment may be similar to the four rows of tracks embodiment, but the additional row of tracks may include at each level a bi-directional horizontal track to adapt the distance between columns of tracks of the collection of paths (determined by the length of the ramp and the angle of the ramp) to the distance between the aisles of the rack environment. It is preferable that the number of track columns is equal to the number of levels to reduce the number of direction changes for the carts. If the number of path columns must be chosen to be less than the number of levels, for example due to lateral space constraints, a path along a sequence of ramps may include 180-degree turns through two adjacent junction points, including a transition to an adjacent row of paths. Preferably, the entry point and exit point of the interaction site are located on adjacent path columns on the same level. A 180-degree turn on one-way tracks means here that the cart changes to the opposite direction of travel by two subsequent 90-degree turns at two adjacent connection points to change to another one-way or bidirectional track providing the opposite direction of travel. This means that the cart must change lane rows during a 180-degree turn on one-way lanes.

Additionally, between each pair of adjacent track posts, one or more (up to Y-1) one-way positive-angle ramps may be located in the same row of lanes, and between the same pair of adjacent track posts, the same number of negative-angle ramps may be located in the next row of paths. The ramps of the same row of tracks may preferably be arranged substantially parallel to each other. Each of these embodiments provides a path arrangement with improved design utilization of space in the direction of passage.

Additionally, at least one of the first one-way ramps, the second one-way ramps, the third one-way ramps and/or the fourth one-way ramps may have an inclination angle of from 5 to 20 degrees, preferably from 12 to 17 degrees. For example, at least one of the ramps may have an inclination angle of 15 degrees. This embodiment provides an inclination angle such that each ramp is effectively negotiated by the cart and requires an optimal structural amount of space in the horizontal direction to connect the different storage levels. It is preferable that the absolute value of the angle of inclination of all ramps is the same. Preferably, the sign of the inclination angle is substantially the same for all ramps of the same row of tracks and is different between ramps of adjacent rows of tracks. It is preferable for all ramps to be substantially the same length. In this way, all ramps can be identical to each other to reduce the variety of parts that make up the collection of paths.

It is also possible that at least one interaction point may comprise a charger module for charging a vehicle battery during automatic handling of a stored container and/or automatic dispensing of a storage container, in which embodiment the cart may be charged while transferring the container to and from /or from the cart. In this way, the time during which a stored container is processed and/or a container to be stored is dispensed is effectively utilized. Preferably, this time should be sufficient to charge the battery until the cart returns to the charger module next time, so that the cart does not take any additional breaks to charge its battery.

Additionally, the plurality of paths may comprise a one-way interaction path for connecting an interaction point entry point to at least one interaction location and at least one interaction location to an interaction location exit point. This embodiment improves the connection of the interaction site to other tracks of the path set. A one-way interaction path prevents potential collisions between carts moving towards or away from the interaction area. Preferably, the interaction path is a loop that leads from the entry point through the interaction location to the exit point. The loop is preferably closed by a first horizontal one-way track and/or a second horizontal one-way track. Optionally, the one-way communication track comprises and/or is a horizontal track.

In addition, the collection of paths can be configured so that it can be scaled and expanded at will across one or more levels and/or columns of tracks of the collection of paths. Thus, a track assembly may consist of a modular structural assembly including ramps, horizontal walkways, and connection points. The size and layout of this track arrangement can be tailored to the storage shelving arrangement by selecting the most appropriate number of columns and ramps for each track.

Additionally, the plurality of paths may include an optical marker, an electronic tag

- 8 044777 and/or lane markings so that the trolley can determine its position and/or check/improve information about its location. Thus, the cart may include a detection device that is adapted to detect a marker, mark and/or marking of any of the lanes. For example, the cart may include a camera for detecting an optical marker and/or lane marking and/or an RFID reader for reading the electronic tag. The marker, tag, and/or markings may be located in and/or on a track surface that is configured to allow carts to move thereon.

In accordance with another dependent or independent aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic storage and access system comprising the above-mentioned set of paths and at least one self-propelled cart configured to move along a certain first path along one-way ramps of the set of paths for automatically transporting a stored container with storage location to the interaction location and/or for movement along a specific second path along one-way ramps of a set of paths for automatic transportation of the container from the interaction location to the storage location. The at least one cart may include a battery for powering a drive motor of the cart and is preferably charged by a charging module that may be located at the interface; a detection device that is configured to detect the marker, tag and/or marking of any of the lanes; and a driving device for interacting with the tracks, for example, the driving device may include wheels with a lateral distance and a wheelbase that correspond to the tracks and ramps of the plurality of tracks.

Additionally, at least one cart may contain a first set of wheels of four wheels for forward and rear movement in the direction of the passage and a second set of wheels of four additional wheels for movement of the front and rear transversely to the direction of the passage and for movement on ramps up/down. The direction of movement of the first group of wheels differs from the direction of movement of the second group of wheels by 90 degrees. At least one of the first set of wheels and the second set of wheels may be vertically lowered and raised relative to the other set of wheels such that the lower set of wheels is an active set of wheels for driving the trolley while the upper set of wheels is inactive group of wheels. The direction of movement can be changed at the connection points of a set of tracks by changing the active group of wheels, i.e. by lowering the inactive group of wheels and/or raising the active group of wheels.

Also, a plurality of paths are located in the front area of the storage shelving device to provide a compact design of the automatic storage and access system.

Optionally, at least one cart may comprise a sensor, and the plurality of tracks comprises an optical marker, an electronic marker and/or a lane marking, wherein the sensor is configured to identify the optical marker, an electronic marker and/or a lane marking to determine a position, at least one trolley in a set of tracks.

In accordance with another dependent or independent aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for automatically storing and/or retrieving containers in the racks of a rack storage device. The method includes the following steps:

moving a self-propelled trolley along a first rail track having a first gauge and running along a first axis to position the trolley in the aisle between the racks, wherein the trolley is driven with a first gear ratio, moving the trolley along a second rail track having a second gauge and running along a second axis transverse to the first axis for positioning the cart along the aisle, the cart being driven at a second gear ratio, moving the cart along a first rail track having a first gauge and extending along the first axis to position the cart within a rack rack underneath the container, with wherein the cart is driven in first gear ratio, raising the support surface of the cart to carry the bottom surface of the container, securing and centering the container on the support surface by simultaneously moving at least two engagement elements in opposite directions to each other from the open position to the locking position for engagement in the mounting position with corresponding receiving elements on the bottom surface of the container, moving the cart carrying the container along the first rail track to exit the rack in the aisle direction, the cart being driven at the first gear ratio, lowering the support surface, and moving the cart along a second rail track having a second gauge and extending along a second axis for exiting the aisle to a container handling interaction point, the trolley being driven at a second gear ratio.

The above steps may preferably be steps of removing the container from the rack storage device. The steps above can usually be completed after the cart has placed another container in the storage rack, which is now available for a new task.

- 9 044777

For example, the cart may already be at the desired storage level for a new task and may initially move along a horizontal track, which is the first rail track, to find the desired passage. As a second step, the cart can enter the passage along a passage path that is a second rail track with a narrower gauge than the horizontal track that is the first rail track. In the second stage, the cart can be driven at a lower gear ratio to move faster at a certain engine speed compared to running on the first rail track with a higher gear ratio at the same engine speed. This is particularly advantageous for reducing container storage and/or retrieval time if the storage rack arrangement is longer along the second axis than along the first axis.

In the second step, the cart can find the desired position along the aisle to enter the rack. In the third stage, the cart can enter the rack to find the required position under the target container. The containers may be placed on rack projections extending along a first axis and having a vertical distance to the first tracks within the storage rack arrangement. The vertical clearance must be greater than the height of the carts to allow carts to fit into the storage racking arrangement under the rack overhangs. Within the rack storage device there may be one or more containers placed over the same first rail track. An embodiment with only one container on the first rail track may be advantageous for rapid retrieval and storage since there is no need to rearrange other containers before retrieving or storing the desired container. The first rail track may be connected to an adjacent first rail track of an adjacent track accessible from an adjacent aisle, such that a cart may enter the first rail track from one aisle and leave it through the connected first rail track in a different aisle, or vice versa. In the case of more than one container stored on one first rail track, it may be necessary to move the containers to other available, preferably nearby, storage locations before the desired container or storage location can be accessed. Thus, an embodiment of storing more than one container on a first rail track may be slower in terms of retrieval and storage time, but advantageous in terms of lateral warehouse density since fewer aisles are required. Preferably, the position along the first rail track within the rack storage device may depend on the expected time for next access to the container. Containers with less frequent access may prefer a deeper position within the rack, while containers with more frequent access may be placed closer to the aisle.

Once the path between the target container and the aisle is clear and the cart is positioned under the target container, the cart support surface can be raised to carry the bottom surface of the container in the fourth step. In this way, the container can be removed from the protruding part of the rack on which it was placed. Therefore, the support surface is preferably placed between the protrusions of the post. In a fifth step, the container may be secured and centered on the support surface by simultaneously moving at least two engagement elements in opposite directions to each other from an open position to a locking position to engage in that position with corresponding receiving elements on the bottom surface of the container. Thus, it is not necessary for the carts to have locking side walls, which would be detrimental to the desired compact design of the carts.

At the sixth stage, the trolley carrying the container from below can either be directed to the same passage from which it arrived, or along the connected first rail track it can move to an adjacent passage, depending on which path is clear and/or shorter to its destination, those. desired place of interaction.

Once the cart leaves the rack and is in the aisle that is the second rail track, the cart can lower the support surface again to lower the center of gravity of the cart carrying the container in the seventh step. This reduces the risk of the cart tipping over on ramps or uneven surfaces, or during rapid braking and acceleration.

In the last eighth stage, the carts can quickly move with a second gear ratio along the aisle rail tracks back to the horizontal track to the front area of the racking device. The horizontal walkway may be part of a set of paths in the front area of the storage shelving device for accessing other levels of walkways and finally entering the interaction area via a first or second one-way ramp, as described above.

In addition, preferably for storing the container in a storage rack device, the method may further comprise:

moving a trolley carrying a container along a first rail track having a first track and running along a first axis to position the trolley in the aisle between racks, wherein the trolley is driven with a first gear ratio, moving a trolley carrying a container along a second rail track having a second track width and extending along a second axis transverse to the first axis to position the bogie

- 10 044777 along the aisle, while the trolley is driven with a second gear ratio, lifting the supporting surface of the trolley together with the container, moving the trolley carrying the container along the first rail track to place the trolley inside the rack on an empty storage area, while the trolley is driven in first ratio movement, unfastening the container by simultaneously moving at least two engaging elements in opposite directions to each other from a locked position to an open position to disengage in the open position the receiving elements on the bottom surface of the container, lowering the support surface to place the container in place storage, and moving the cart along the first rail track to exit the rack in an aisle direction, the cart being driven at a first gear ratio.

The above steps may be performed independently of the container retrieval steps, but are preferably performed in combination to retrieve and store the containers. The steps described above can typically be performed after the container has been processed at the interaction site and exits the interaction site through the third or fourth one-way ramp to achieve the desired storage level.

For example, the cart may already be at the desired storage level and may first move along a horizontal track, which is the first rail track, to find the desired passage. As a second step, the cart can enter the passage along a passage path that is a second rail track with a narrower gauge than the horizontal track that is the first track. In the second stage, the cart can be driven at a lower gear ratio to move faster at a certain engine speed compared to running on the first rail track with a higher gear ratio at the same engine speed. This is particularly advantageous for reducing container installation and/or removal time if the storage rack arrangement is longer along the second axis than along the first axis.

Once the cart locates the correct rack post, the cart can lift the support surface to lift the container over the rack lugs to be able to enter the rack in the third step. The cart can travel on the first rail track under the rack projections while it transports the container above the rack projections. Driving with the support surface raised only when necessary reduces the risk of the cart tipping over on ramps or bumps, or during rapid braking and acceleration.

In the fourth step, the cart can enter the rack to find the desired storage location along the first rail track to store the container. The containers may be placed on rack projections extending along a first axis and having a vertical distance to the first rail tracks within the storage rack arrangement. The vertical distance must be greater than the height of the cart so that the cart can enter the storage rack space under the rack overhangs and carry the container over the rack overhangs. There may already be one or more containers along the path between the aisle and the desired storage location. In such a case, the cart must place the container it is actually transporting at another nearby free storage location to rearrange other containers until the path to the target storage location is clear. An embodiment with only one container on the first rail track may be advantageous for rapid retrieval and storage since there is no need to rearrange other containers before retrieving or storing the desired container. The first rail track may be connected to an adjacent first rail track of an adjacent track accessible from an adjacent aisle such that the cart can access the storage area from two adjacent aisles. The option of having more than one container on the first rail may be slower in terms of retrieval and storage time, but beneficial in terms of warehouse lateral density since fewer aisles are required. Preferably, the location of the storage location along the first rail track within the storage rack arrangement may depend on the expected time of next access to the container in question. Containers with less frequent access may prefer a deeper position within the rack, while containers with more frequent access may be placed closer to the aisle.

Once the path between the desired container and the aisle is clear and the cart carrying the container in question is located below the vacant desired storage location, the cart support surface can be lowered to position the bottom surface of the container on the rack ledges in a fourth step. Therefore, the support surface is preferably placed between the protrusions of the post. In a fifth step, the container can be released from its mounting by simultaneously moving at least two engaging elements in opposite directions to each other from the locking position to the open position to release the receiving elements on the bottom surface of the container in the open position. Thus, it is not necessary for the carts to have locking side walls, which would be detrimental to the desired compact design of the carts. Securing the side walls of the carts would also reduce storage density along the first axis and/or the second axis since the containers would need to be stored at a greater horizontal distance from each other along the first axis and/or the second axis.

In the sixth stage, the containerless cart can either go into the same passage from which it came, or along the connected first rail track to an adjacent passage, depending on which path is clear and/or the shortest to its destination, i.e. desired container for the next task.

Once the cart leaves the rack and is in the aisle that is the second rail track, the cart can lower the support surface again to lower the center of gravity of the cart in the final seventh stage. This reduces the risk of the cart tipping over on ramps or uneven surfaces, or during rapid braking and acceleration.

In an optional eighth step, the carts can be quickly moved at a second gear ratio along the aisle track back to a horizontal track on the front surface of the storage racking device to perform the next task. The horizontal path may be part of a set of paths in the front area of the storage rack for access to other levels of paths and, finally, for access to the storage level of the next task.

It is desirable that the first gear ratio be at least two, and preferably three times, greater than the second gear ratio. This is especially useful for efficient movement on ramps to move between storage levels, as well as for quickly moving along walkways between rows.

Optionally, the first track width is significantly larger than the second track width. This is particularly advantageous since the carts may have a first wheelbase for travel along a first axle, and the first wheelset may have a relatively short first wheelbase for travel on ramps. For safer and faster movement, the carts may have a second wheel set for travel along a second axle, and the second wheel set may have a relatively long second wheelbase for travel on paths between rows. Since the wheels of the wheelset are preferably located in the maximum possible lateral positions of the bogie to ensure motion stability, the first track width is preferably significantly larger than the second track width.

In addition, movement of the trolley with or without container along the first rail track also includes movement along a ramp to move between storage levels of the racking device. Preferably, these ramps are the first, second, third and fourth one-way ramps of a set of paths in the front area of the storage rack arrangement. Thus, the first rail tracks are preferably used not only in the arrangement of storage racks for accessing and storing containers in the rack, but also on ramps and on horizontal tracks along the first axis.

Brief description of drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, in which:

in fig. 1a, b show two examples of an automatic storage system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

in fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a trolley carrying a container in accordance with the present invention;

in fig. 3 shows a side view of the trolley from the side of the second axle transporting the container shown in FIG. 2.;

in fig. 4a,b show perspective views of the cart shown in FIG. 2 and 3 with the supporting surface lowered (Fig. 4a) and with the supporting surface raised (Fig. 4b), respectively;

in fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cart shown in FIG. 2-4 with a transparently depicted body;

in fig. 6 is a top view of the cart shown in FIG. 2-5 with transparent body and supporting surface;

in fig. 7 is a side view along the second axis of the bogie shown in FIG. 2-6 with transparent body;

in fig. 8 is a side view along the first axis of the cart shown in FIG. 2-7 with transparent body;

in fig. 9a, b show perspective views of the supporting surface and the mounting and centering system of the trolley shown in FIG. 2-8;

in fig. 10a, b show a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of another embodiment of a trolley according to an embodiment of the present invention on a ramp; and in fig. 11 shows a schematic diagram of the control system for the trolley shown in FIG. 2-9.

Information confirming the possibility of implementing the invention.

In fig. 1 shows an automatic storage system 25 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The automatic storage system 25 comprises a set of tracks 1 located within and/or on a rack storage device 3, in particular in the front area 32 of the rack storage device 3, and a plurality of self-propelled carts 2. The set of tracks 1 is configured in this way. that a plurality of self-propelled trolleys 2 can move along a set of tracks 1, for example, due to the fact that the tracks have a track width that allows efficient and stable movement of the trolleys 2. The rack storage device 3 here is relatively wide along the first x-axis with nine racks 6 and eight aisles 9 between the racks 6. The storage rack 3 is also located along the second y-axis with 15 rows of storage 5 located along the aisles 9. The storage rack 3 is thus located on a grid with 15 storage rows along the second axis u. Since six racks 6 contain two storage locations 5 along the first x-axis, and three racks 6 contain four storage locations 5 along the first x-axis, there are a total of 24 rows of storage along the first x-axis and five levels of storage along the vertical z-axis, i.e. e. k = 5. So the total number of storage locations 5 is 1800.

A storage rack device 3 for automatically placing and retrieving containers 4 contains a plurality of storage locations 5 located in a plurality of racks 6 extending through a plurality of storage levels. The storage areas 5 can be reached via horizontal walkways 8 on each storage level, wherein the walkways 8 run in the y direction along the aisles 9 between the racks 6. The racks 6, aisles 9 and aisle tracks 8 are installed parallel to each other, so that the y directions the passages of any pair of adjacent passages 9 are parallel to each other. Preferably, the storage locations 5 are located on a three-dimensional grid. All figures contain a right-handed Cartesian coordinate system with a vertical z-axis, a straight y-axis and a lateral x-axis. Therefore, the direction of passage y is directed along the y axis. The positive y-axis here means the forward longitudinal direction, while the negative y-axis means the reverse longitudinal direction. Likewise, a positive x-axis should mean a lateral direction to the left, while a negative x-axis should mean a lateral direction to the right. Likewise, a positive z-axis should mean a vertical upward direction, while a negative z-axis should mean a vertical downward direction.

A set of paths 1 connects each storage location 5 to an interaction location 10 for automatic processing of stored containers 4 and/or automatic release of storage containers 4. Path set 1 contains in this embodiment as many track levels as storage levels, i.e. Z = k, where track levels correspond to storage levels. The interaction point 10 is located at the track level, which may be referred to as the interaction point level. In an alternative embodiment, the collection of paths 1 may contain a plurality of interaction locations 10 and/or may connect each storage location 5 to a plurality of interaction locations 10. This may increase the throughput of the automated storage system 25 and provide shorter paths between the interaction location 10 and any of the locations storage 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, a set of paths 1 includes first one-way ramps 14, second one-way ramps 16, third one-way ramps 20, and fourth one-way ramps 22 such that any pair of adjacent storage levels are connected to each other. Preferably, the first, second, third and fourth one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 connect all Z levels of the racking device 3. Thus, the cart 2 can reach any storage level to an adjacent storage level.

Path set 1 comprises a horizontal bidirectional path 11 connected to all aisle paths 8 at each storage level along a first x-axis. Alternatively, instead of one horizontal bidirectional track 11, there may be two parallel horizontal one-way tracks with mutually opposite directions of movement along the first x-axis. The walkways 8 are bidirectional walkways extending along a second y-axis, perpendicular to the first x-axis. In an alternative embodiment, instead of a single bidirectional aisle track 8, the set of paths 1 may comprise two parallel one-way aisle tracks 8 with mutually opposite directions of movement along the second y-axis.

The set of tracks 1 contains a plurality of connecting tracks 31 providing connections between the aisle tracks 8 and the first horizontal one-way track 11 and/or the second horizontal one-way track 12. The connecting track 31 serves as a connection of tracks at one or more connection points 24 and is configured to move the cart 2 , wherein the cart 2 can maintain and/or change the direction of its movement, preferably by 90 degrees, 180 degrees and/or 270 degrees at any of the connection points 24.

The connecting tracks 31 in this embodiment are unidirectional, but one or more connecting tracks 31 may be bidirectional in other embodiments. The connecting tracks 31 may consist of a plurality of connecting points 24.

The connecting tracks 31 each contain a plurality of connecting points 24 for connecting the horizontal tracks 11, 12 and/or one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 to each other. One of the connecting tracks 31 extends along the second y-axis from the horizontal track 11 and the exit point 28 to the entry point 27. Thus, the connecting track 31 connects the first horizontal

- 13 044777 track 11, exit point 28 and entry point 27, so that the cart 2 can move from one of said tracks 11 and/or one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 to another.

All first one-way ramps 14 and second one-way ramps 16 lead to an entry point level 17 (not designated in FIG. 1a) of at least one interaction point 10. All third one-way ramps 20 and fourth one-way ramps 22 lead from the level 18 exit point (not indicated in Fig. 1a) of at least one interaction point 10. Interaction point 10 can be accessed from the level of entry point 17 and exited to the level of exit point 18. The level of entry point 17 is the level of paths, according to which the interaction point 10 can be reached by the cart 2. In this embodiment, the cart 2 can reach the interaction place 10 from the level of the entry point 17 without changing the level of the path along which it moves, i.e. entry point level 17 is the interaction point level. The level of the entry point 17 and the level of the exit point 18 are identical here for the interaction point 10, i.e. the entry point 27 and the exit point 28 are located at the same track level, namely at the track level on which the interaction point 10 is located, i.e. level of the interaction site.

In this embodiment, the exit point level 18 is the path level on which the interaction point 10 is located, which can be exited through a third one-way ramp 20 and a fourth one-way ramp 22. The first one-way ramp 14 and the second one-way ramp 16 that lead to the entry point level 17, connect the adjacent track level to the level of the entry point 17 at the entry point 27 of the interaction point 10, from which the interaction point 10 can be reached by the cart 2. The entry point 27 is located at the level of the entry point 17. The level of the exit point 18 is connected at the exit point 28 of the interaction point 10 through a third one-way ramp 20 and a fourth one-way ramp 22 with an adjacent track level, with the exit point 28 located at the level of the exit point 18.

As also shown in Fig. 1a, the first one-way ramps 14 contain a first sequence of first ramps 13, the second one-way ramps 16 contain a second sequence of second ramps 15, the third one-way ramps 20 contain a third sequence of third ramps 19, and/or the fourth one-way ramps 22 contain a fourth sequence of fourth ramps 21. the ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 of the first, second, third or fourth sequence of ramps 13, 15, 19, 21, respectively, are connected to each other by one or two horizontal connecting points 24. In this embodiment, the third or fourth sequence of ramps 19, 21 is located so that the cart 2 can cross any of the specified sequence of ramps 19, 21 without turning 180 degrees between the ramps. The same applies to the second sequence up to Entry Point 27. However, the first sequence of ramps down to Entry Point 27 involves a 180 degree turn at the fourth track level. This is because the available side space does not allow for a wider track area, i.e. to continue the sequence on the right flank.

Self-propelled carts 2 are configured to move along a specific first path along a horizontal track 11 and first and second one-way ramps 14, 16 of a set of paths 1 for automatically transporting a stored container 4 from a storage location 5 to an interaction place 10. Self-propelled carts 2 are configured to move along a specific second paths along one-way paths 11 and the third and fourth one-way ramps 20, 22 of a set of paths 1 for automatic transportation of the container 4 from the interaction point 10 to the storage location 5. In this case, the first path and the second path may contain common tracks 11, but not have common ramps. Preferably, the Automatic Storage System 25 comprises one or a plurality of carts 2.

At any storage level 7, a horizontal track 11 allows the cart 2 to move on the same storage level 7 from any aisle track 8 to another aisle track 8. The bi-directional horizontal track 11 runs transverse to the aisle direction. A bidirectional horizontal track 11 is located in the aisle direction between the aisle tracks 8 and the first, second, third and/or fourth one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22. In the aisle direction, the set of paths 1 extends to a depth in the y direction equal to three times the width tracks, i.e. the width of the three connection points is 24.

The bi-directional horizontal track 11 is bi-directional to provide short paths between the interaction point 10 and any of the storage locations 5. In an alternative embodiment, the set of tracks 1 comprises first and second horizontal one-way tracks instead of a single bi-directional horizontal track 11 to prevent any potential collision of the carts 2 while moving along a specified path and/or to provide a unique first path and/or second path.

The set of paths 1 contains a plurality of first sequences 13 of first one-way ramps 14, a plurality of second sequences 15 of second one-way ramps 16, a plurality of third sequences 19 of third one-way ramps 20, and a plurality of fourth sequences 21 of fourth one-way ramps 22. Thus, the set of paths 1 contains

- 14 044777 a plurality of first paths from any of the storage locations 5 to the interaction location 10 and a plurality of second paths from the interaction location 10 to any of the storage locations 5. This may increase the possible throughput of the automated storage system 25.

In fig. Interaction level 1a is a third level with an entry point 27 and an exit point 28 at the third level. The path set 1 contains a plurality of first, second, third and fourth sequences of one-way ramps 13, 15, 19, 21, where each sequence contains two one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 to reach all five levels of the path set. The second sequence 15 contains two second one-way ramps 16 directed upward and to the right and located in the same row of paths below and to the left of the entry point 27. The third sequence 19 contains two third one-way ramps 20 directed upward and to the right and located in the same row of paths , as the row of paths, above and to the right of the exit point 28. The fourth sequence 21 contains two fourth one-way ramps 22, directed down to the left and located in the same row of paths below and to the right of the exit point 28. The first sequence 13 is different from the other sequences 15 , 19, 21 in that there is not enough lateral space to the right of the entry point to lower the cart from the fifth upper level. Consequently, one first one-way ramp 14 of the first sequence 13 of the set of paths 1 between the fourth and third levels is directed downward to the left and is located above and to the right of the entry point 27 in the same row of paths of the entry point 27. The other first one-way ramp 14 of the first sequence 13 between the fifth and fourth levels is directed downward to the right and is located in a different set of paths than the entry point 27. Therefore, the path of the cart 2 along the first sequence 13 involves a 180-degree turn between the first two one-way ramps 14. The available lateral space and the position of the entry point 27 and/or point exit 28 in the set of paths 1 determine whether and how many such 180-degree turns may be required in what sequence. The layout of the set of paths 1 can be chosen to minimize the number of 180 degree turns as much as possible. However, if desired, the first, second, third and/or fourth sequences 13, 15, 19, 21 may comprise multiple 180 degree rotations and thus may define a zigzag path.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 1a, b, a set of paths 1 is located on a three-dimensional grid, in which connection points 24, entry point 27 and/or exit point 28 define grid points. The grid consists of Z levels of paths, Y rows of paths, and X columns of paths. The rows of tracks extend across the passage direction y (along the x-axis), so that the sequence of rows of tracks extends in the direction of the passage (along the y-axis). The columns of the X paths are defined by a sequence of connecting points 24 arranged vertically above each other (along the y-axis), such that the sequence of guide columns runs transverse to the direction of passage (along the x-axis). One-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 connect adjacent track columns and levels that connect to each other. The number Z of track levels here is equal to the number k of storage levels 7, i.e. k = 5 in Fig. 1a. The number of rows of tracks Y is equal to the maximum number of connection points 24 of the connecting track 31 in the direction of passage y, i.e. Y = 3 in Fig. 1a. Additionally, some space may be provided in the direction of the passage y to accommodate the interaction path 26 and the interaction platform 10. In FIG. 1a the number X of track columns is equal to the number Z of track levels. This is particularly beneficial in terms of reducing the number of 180 degree turns required. However, trolleys 2 can only safely ascend/descend along ramps with an inclination angle of less than a _max , due to which a minimum distance D _min between the columns of the tracks may be necessary in order to rise to a height H θ tan ct max of the same level, at this and If the available lateral space does not allow for a track layout with at least Z track levels, the number of track columns X can be reduced to a minimum number of X's of 2 by using more 180 degree turns.

Preferably, the directions of movement along the ramps of the same row of paths connecting the same columns of paths alternate between adjacent levels. Preferably, the directions of movement along the ramps between the same levels and the same columns of paths connecting them differ between rows of paths. Preferably, the directions of movement along ramps of the same row of tracks connecting the same columns of tracks alternate between adjacent track levels.

The number of rows of tracks Y is counted from the surface of the front area 32 of the rack storage device 3 forward in the x direction, so that the bidirectional horizontal track 11 in FIG. 1a is located in the first row of paths. The number Z of track levels is equal to the number k of storage levels 7, with the lower storage level having level number one and the upper level having level number five in FIG. 1a. In fig. 1a, the number of track columns X is five, with the first track column in a row being track number one column, entry point 27 being in track number two column, and exit point 28 being in the center third track column. Preferably, the entry point 27 and exit point 28 are located in adjacent path columns. Preferably, the entry point 27 and exit point 28 are located on the same track level.

- 15 044777

In all embodiments shown, the ramps of the same row of paths are located substantially parallel to each other, i.e. each one runs from lower left to upper right or vice versa, or each leads from upper left to lower right or vice versa. In fig. 1a, all ramps of the second track lead from top left to right between adjacent levels and columns of the track. Likewise, all ramps in the third row of tracks lead from bottom left to right between adjacent levels and columns of tracks. In fig. 1a, only 8 one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 in total will be required at least to connect entry point 27 and exit point 28 to any level of tracks. Seven of these one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 are located in the third row of tracks and one first one-way ramp 14 between the fifth and fourth track levels and the first and second track columns. If there was enough side space for another track to the right of the first track, all 8 one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 could be placed on one row of tracks, so that the second row of tracks would not be needed at all. In fig. 1a shows a total of 32 ramps, of which 16 ramps are located in the second row of tracks, and 16 ramps are located in the third row of tracks. Therefore, the embodiment of FIG. 1a contains a redundancy of 24 additional ramps which provide alternative path options to entry point 27 or exit point 28. This can reduce the risk of congestion and accommodate more traffic, i.e. simultaneous operation of a larger number of carts 2. Moreover, the set of tracks 1 in FIG. 1a could provide parallel service to up to three more interaction points 10. For example, another interaction point could be located on the third level of the track between the fourth and fifth column of the track and/or on the first and/or fifth level of the track between the second and third column of the track and/ or between the fourth and fifth columns of the track.

In fig. 1b is a perspective view of another embodiment of an automatic storage system 25 in accordance with the present invention. The arrangement of storage racks 3 here is relatively narrow along the first x-axis with only two racks 6 and one aisle 9 between the racks 6. The storage rack arrangement 3 is relatively long along the second y-axis with 20 storage spaces 5 located along the aisle 9. Similar to the track set 1, the storage rack 3 is arranged on a grid with 20 storage rows along the second y-axis, eight storage rows along the first x-axis and five storage levels along the vertical z-axis, i.e. k = 5. Thus, the total number of storage locations 5 is 800.

Path set 1, as shown in FIG. 1b has nine levels of tracks, three columns of tracks and two rows of tracks to serve one interaction point 10 located on a second track level via interaction track 26. The set of tracks 1 is particularly useful for narrow storage racks 3 with limited side space. The storage rack arrangement 3 has only 5 storage levels, but the track set 1 contains four additional auxiliary intermediate track levels between track levels 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. The set of paths 1 thus contains 16 relatively short one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22, each of which rises only half the storage level so that the inclination angle remains below the maximum inclination angle _amax , i.e. the distance between paths of path set 1 is here half the height of the storage level. Five first ramps 14 connect track levels 8-3 down, three second ramps 16 connect track levels 1-3 up, five third ramps 20 connect track levels 3-8 up, and three fourth ramps 22 connect track levels 3-1 down. The path along the sequence of ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 may include a zigzag sequence with one or more 180 degree turns at the side ends, i.e. on the first and third track columns, the central connecting track 31 on the second track column leads to the central tracks of the aisles 8. The first and third track columns are auxiliary track columns with connection points 24 on the auxiliary intermediate track levels, where the bogies 2 can be rotated 180 degrees to ascending or descending to the level of the path up or down. In this embodiment, it is possible to dispense with horizontal tracks 11, 12 with a direction of movement transverse to the direction of the aisle, since the racking storage device has only one aisle 9. At any storage level 7, the aisle tracks 8 are connected by one-way ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 with the interaction path 26. In the direction of the aisle 9, the set of paths 1 extends to the width of two connecting points 24 from the surface of the front area 32 of the rack storage device 3.

Any of the described sets of paths 1 is arranged such that the set of paths 1 can be arbitrarily expanded by periodically reproducing the illustrated set of paths 1 and/or a portion thereof along the first x-axis. This makes the set of paths 1 modular and adaptable to the dimensions of the shelving storage device 3.

In fig. 2 shows in more detail a trolley 2 carrying a container 4 at a connection point 24. The trolley 2 is substantially box-shaped with a defined width W along a first x-axis, a defined length L along a second y-axis and a defined height H along a vertical z-axis. Container 4 is only slightly smaller along the first x-axis and the second y-axis, but significantly taller along the z-axis. The container 4 is placed on top of the cart 2, which thus carries the container 4. The container is secured and centered on the upper support surface 39 of the cart 2 by means of a fastening and centering system containing engaging elements 41, described in more detail with reference to FIG. . 9a, 9b.

The upper support surface 39 of the trolley 2 is vertically movable to raise and lower the container 4. In FIG. 2 shows the support surface 39 in the raised position.

The trolley 2 is capable of moving transversely along first rail tracks 36 extending along a first x-axis using a first set of wheels 37 consisting of four wheels, and longitudinally along second rail tracks 42 extending along a second y-axis using a second set of wheels. 43, consisting of four wheels. Thus, the cart 2 contains a total of eight wheels. The wheels of the first group of wheels 37 are located on the front side 47 (not visible in Fig. 2) and the rear side 49 of the cart 2. The wheels of the second group of wheels 43 are located on the left side 51 and the right side 53 (not visible in Fig. 2) of the cart 2. Cart 2 is significantly longer along the second y-axis than it is wider along the first x-axis. Likewise, the wheelbase of the first wheel set 37 is significantly shorter than the wheelbase of the second wheel set 43. Accordingly, the first track 55 of the first rail tracks 36 is significantly larger than the second track 57 of the second rail tracks 38. The first rail tracks 36 may be part of ramps 14, 16, 20, 22, horizontal tracks 11, 12 and placed inside the racks 6 along the x-axis so that the carts 2 can enter the racks 6. The second rail tracks 38 may be part of the aisle paths 8. The connection points 24 may contain both the first railway tracks 36 , and the second railway tracks 38 crossing each other.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first set of wheels 37 is mounted on the first chassis 59 of the bogie 2, while the second set of wheels 43 has vertical movement between the driving position and the idle position relative to the first chassis 59 of the bogie 2. Thus, the second set of wheels 43 has vertical movement relative to the first group of wheels 37. The lower one of the first group of wheels 37 and the second group of wheels 43 is in the driving position, and the upper one of the first group of wheels 37 and the second group of wheels 43 is in the idle position. In fact, the first set of wheels 37 rises with the first chassis 59 when the second set of wheels 43 is in the driving position and moves downward. In an alternative embodiment, only the first set of wheels 37 or both sets of wheels 37, 43 can move vertically relative to the first chassis 59 of the cart 2. The second set of wheels 43 is preferably mounted on the second chassis 60, with the first chassis 59 and the second chassis 60 being movable relative to each other. friend (see Fig. 5).

The cart 2 further includes guide members 61 in the form of a plurality of rollers that can rotate about a vertical z-axis and are located on the front side 47, the rear side 49, the left side 51 and the right side 53 of the cart 2. At least a subset of the rollers can be located on four vertical edges of the cart 2 to serve as a guide member 61 for both movement along the first x-axis and movement along the second y-axis. The guide members 61 partially project outward relative to the respective front side 47, rear side 49, left side 51, or right side 53 on which they are located so that the rollers can roll along the vertical guide surfaces provided by the first rail tracks 36 and the second rail tracks 38, respectively. . Thus, the trolley 2 is able to move smoothly and efficiently along the first rail tracks 36 and the second rail tracks 38, respectively. The rollers may be outwardly spring-loaded to center the trolley 2 on the first rail tracks 36 and the second rail tracks 38, respectively.

The first set of wheels 37 has a relatively short first wheelbase 63. This is advantageous for entering and exiting with sufficient ground clearance on ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 that extend transversely along the first x-axis. The second group of wheels 43 has a relatively long second wheelbase 65. This is advantageous for rapid movement along the passage paths 8, which run longitudinally along the second axis y between the racks 6.

In fig. 3 shows a view from the rear side 49 of a cart 2 carrying a container 4 on a raised support surface 39. The cart 2 has a height H when the support surface 39 is lowered. The support surface 39 substantially has a vertical movement of a range d above the height H. The container has a height h, where h > H. Therefore, the maximum height of the cart 2 carrying the container 4 is H + d + h when the support surface 39 is raised . Therefore, the minimum height of the trolley 2 carrying the container 4 is H + h when the support surface 39 is lowered. The vertical position of the support surface 39 determines the overall height H + d of the cart 2, since it contains at least three points of contact for supporting the container 4 from below. In fig. 3, the first group of wheels 37 is located lower than the second group of wheels 43. i.e. the first set of wheels 37 is in a drive position for lateral movement along the first x-axis.

Fig. 2 and 3 also show how the fastening and centering system of the trolley 2 operates. The fastening and centering system comprises in this embodiment two pairs of corresponding engaging elements 41. These are located on the support surface 39 in such a way that they are capable of interacting with the receiving elements 67 on the bottom container 4. The engaging elements 41 of each pair can rotate around the second axis y in mutually opposite directions, i.e. clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively (see dotted arrows in Fig. 3), so that they engage externally with the receiving elements 67. Engagement of the engaging elements 41 with the receiving elements

- 17 044777 elements 67 may include engagement of engaging elements 41 with receiving elements 67. Along the path between the open position (see Fig. 4a, b) and the locking position (as shown in Fig. 3), in case the container 4 is not precisely centered with respect to the symmetry plane yz of the cart 2, one pair engagement element 41 may contact the container 4 before the other pair engagement element 41. Further movement of the engaging elements 41 will cause the container to move to a lateral central position on the supporting surface 39. The container 4 is thus simultaneously centered relative to the symmetry plane yz of the cart 2 and attached at its bottom to the supporting surface 39.

The cart 2 also includes a sensor device 69 located at the rear left edge of the cart 2 and directed horizontally at an angle, for example, 45 degrees, between a positive first x-axis and a negative y-axis. The track set 1 may include optical markers, electronic tags and/or lane markings that can be identified by a sensor device 69 configured to determine the position of the cart 2 in the track set 1. The position of the sensor device 69 on the edge of the cart 2 and its angled orientation are preferred for using a single sensor device 69 to both determine a position along a first x-axis and a position along a second y-axis.

In fig. 4a, the second group of wheels 43 is located lower than the first group of wheels 37, i.e. the second set of wheels 43 is in a driving position for moving in the longitudinal direction along the second y-axis. The first set of wheels 37 is in the idle position, but the wheels of the first set of wheels 37 can be driven simultaneously with the wheels of the second set of wheels 43. The support surface 39 is lowered and the engaging elements 41 are in the open position. As best seen in Fig. 7, the engaging elements 41 in the open position are located entirely below the support surface 39, while in the locking position they at least partially protrude above the support surface 39 (see FIG. 3).

In fig. 4b, the first group of wheels 37 is located lower than the second group of wheels 43, i.e. the first group of wheels 37 is in a driving position for movement in the longitudinal direction along the first axis x. The second set of wheels 43 is in the idle position, but the wheels of the second set of wheels 43 can be driven simultaneously with the wheels of the first set of wheels 37. The support surface 39 is raised and the engaging elements 41 are in the open position. It should be noted that the supporting surface 39 has a distance S to the longitudinal ends of the trolley 2 along the second axis y, i.e. to the front side 47 and to the rear side 49. As shown in FIG. 2, the container 4 is longer along the second y-axis than the support surface 39, so that the front end portion of the bottom of the container 2 and the rear end portion of the bottom of the container 2 are not supported by the support surface 39. When the container 4 is stored at the storage location 5 of the rack 6, the container 4 is preferably is supported by the front end portion of the bottom of the container 4 and the rear end portion of the bottom of the container 4 on a pair of corresponding rack projections extending along the first x-axis. The respective rack protrusions have a distance from each other that is greater than the length of the support surface 39. Thus, the support surface 39 is capable of extending between the rack protrusions as it is raised from the lowered position to the raised position by the range. Some internal parts of the cart 2 are visible in FIG. 5. The trolley 2 includes a drive motor 71 for driving both the first set of wheels 37 and the second set of wheels 43. Both the first set of wheels 37 and the second set of wheels 43 can be coupled to the drive motor 71 regardless of whether they are in the idle position or in the working position. This means that both groups of wheels of the trolley 2 can be driven simultaneously, while the power consumption for driving the idle group of wheels is minimal. However, the first set of wheels 37 and the second set of wheels 43 are preferably connected to the drive motor 71 through a transmission system providing different gear ratios or gear ratios for the two sets of wheels 37, 43. The trolley 2 thus includes a transmission system 73 (see FIG. 6), in which the transmission system 73 operates with a first gear ratio and a second gear ratio. The transmission system 73 is configured to drive a first set of wheels 37 with a first gear ratio and to drive a second set of wheels 43 with a second gear ratio, the first gear ratio being significantly greater than the second gear ratio. This means that the wheels of the second set of wheels 43 rotate significantly faster than the wheels of the first set of wheels 37 at a given speed of the drive motor 71. This is particularly advantageous for rapid movement along long walkways 8 along the second y-axis when driving on the second set of wheels 43. Accordingly , the output torque of the wheels of the first set of wheels 37 is significantly higher than the output torque of the wheels of the second set of wheels 43. This is particularly advantageous for climbing ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 along the first x-axis when driven by the first set of wheels 37. Preferably , the first group of wheels 37 and/or the second group of wheels 43 are driven with drive on all four wheels.

The second chassis 60, on which the second set of wheels 43 is mounted, is capable of vertical movement by means of four vertically extending lead screws 75 located close to the four corners of the trolley 2. The lead screws 75 are mechanically connected using transmission

- 18 044777 belts 77 with a pair of lifting motors 79 (see Fig. 6) for simultaneously driving all four lead screws 75. The lead screws 75 are mounted on the first chassis 59, and the second chassis 60 is secured to the lead screws 75 using lifting elements 81, interacting with the external thread of the lead screws 75 and, thus, moving vertically when the lead screws 75 rotate. The trolley 2 additionally contains vertical action springs 83, which are expanded when the second chassis 60 moves down relative to the first chassis 59 and are released when the second chassis 60 moves upward relative to the first chassis 59. The springs 83 are thus preloaded to pull the second chassis 60 upward. The cart 2 further includes at least one detector element 85 for detecting other carts 2 or obstacles along the first X-axis for collision avoidance.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first output of the transmission system 73 is mechanically connected to two wheels of a first set of wheels 37 located on the left side of the truck 2 by at least one first drive shaft 87 extending along a second y-axis. Likewise, the second output of the transmission system 73 is mechanically connected to the two rear wheels of the second set of wheels 43 by at least one second drive shaft 89 extending along the first x-axis.

The rear wheels of the second group of wheels 43 are connected to the second drive shaft 89 by means of transmission belts 91, so that the second group of wheels 43 can be driven in any vertical position of the second chassis 60 relative to the first chassis 59. The trolley 2 additionally contains a battery 93 in the form of a set of batteries modules for powering the trolley 2 with electrical energy. The cart 2 further includes a control system 94 comprising hardware in the form of control electronics on one or more printed circuit boards and software configured to control the cart 2. Details of how the control system 94 operates and is connected to perform the automatic storage method and/or or removing containers 4 in the racks 6 of the rack storage device 3 is shown schematically in FIG. eleven.

In fig. 6 also shows a fastening and centering system with engaging elements 41. The carriage 2 includes a locking motor 95 for driving at least one first drive shaft 97 extending substantially along the first x-axis. The first drive shaft 97 is mechanically connected to a pair of second drive shafts 99 extending along the second y-axis. The second drive shafts 99 are configured to actuate the engaging members 41 between the open position and the lock position by rotating about the second axis y, wherein one of the pair of drive shafts 99 rotates clockwise while the other of the pair of drive shafts 99 rotates counterclock-wise. Details of the fastening and centering system are better visible in Fig. 9a, b.

As shown in FIG. 6 and 7, the support surface 39 is mounted on four vertical columns 101, which move vertically parallel to each other. Lifting motors 79 are used to provide vertical movement of the supporting surface 39. The overall vertical path of the lifting elements 81 along the lead screws 75 has two path sections, i.e. the lower section of the trajectory and the upper section of the trajectory. In the lower part of the path, the lifting elements 81 are used to raise/lower the second group of wheels 43, and in the upper part of the path they are used to raise/lower the supporting surface 39. Consequently, the lifting elements 81 mounted on the lead screws 75 have dual functionality, i.e. e. for pushing the second set of wheels 43 downward against the springs 83 in the lower part of the track and for pushing the support surface 39 upward in the upper section of the track. The upper end of the springs 83 is fixed to the spring bracket 102, and the vertical position of the spring bracket 102 defines the transition between the lower track portion and the upper track portion. As the lifting members 81 move upward from the bottom of the track to the top of the track, the springs 83 are compressed and pull the second set of wheels 43 upward. When the springs 83 are fully compressed, the second set of wheels 43 reaches the idle position. The lifting elements 81 enter the upper section of the track during further upward movement after the second set of wheels 43 has reached the idle position. In the upper section of the track, lifting members 81 push the support surface 39 upward into a raised position. This is particularly advantageous since the raised position of the support surface 39 is only required when the second set of wheels 43 is in the idle position.

In fig. 9a, b only the support surface 39 is shown, having a width WS and a length LS, together with the fastening and centering system, in which in FIG. 9a shows the engaging elements 41 in the open position, and FIG. 9b shows the engaging elements 41 in a locking position. The length L of the trolley 2, thus, relates to the length of the supporting surface 39 according to the formula L= LS+2-S, where S is the distance of the supporting surface 39 to the longitudinal ends of the trolley 2, i.e. front side 47 and rear side 49. The width WS of the supporting surface 39 is only slightly smaller than the width W of the carriage 2. The engaging members 41 are arranged in two corresponding pairs of a left-side engaging member 41 and a right-side engaging member 41. The engagement elements 41 on the left side can be rotated simultaneously with the engagement elements 41 on the right side, but in the opposite direction. This is achieved by a pair of first drive shafts 97,

- 19 044777 acting as connecting rods, hinged on diametrically opposite sides on the rotor axis of the locking motor 95 in a manner similar to a crankshaft. The rotation of the locking motor 95 is thus converted into a mutually opposing pushing and pulling movement of the first drive shafts 97 substantially along the first x-axis. A lateral outer end of each first drive shaft 97 is hinged at the bottom to one of a pair of second drive shafts 99 rotatably mounted to the bottom support surface 39 by brackets 103. The mutually opposing pushing and pulling motion of the first drive shafts 97 causes the second drive shafts to rotate. 99 in opposite directions (as indicated by dotted arrows). Engaging elements 41 extend radially from the second drive shafts 99 in the form of hooks that are configured to protrude through the holes in the support surface 39 when they are moved from the open position to the locking position. Preferably, in the locking position, the engaging elements 41 engage a corresponding recess in the receiving elements 67 to securely lock the container 4 from tipping over and sliding off the support surface 39. The engaging elements 41 do not protrude through the holes in the support surface 39 when they are in the open position, as shown in Fig. 9a. Thus, they are retracted to the open position (Fig. 9a). The mutually opposing pulling motion of the first drive shafts 97 results in a simultaneous locking movement of the engaging members 41 approximately 90 degrees outward from the open position (FIG. 9a) to the latching position (FIG. 9b). The mutually opposing pushing motion of the first drive shafts 97 causes the engagement elements 41 to simultaneously move approximately 90 degrees inward from the locked position (FIG. 9b) to the open position (FIG. 9a). Preferably, the locking motor 95 is a stepper motor configured to selectively move in two directions around a specified rotation angle of up to 180 degrees.

In the locking position shown in FIG. 9b, the engaging members 41 engage recesses 67 on the bottom of the container 4 (not shown in FIG. 9b) to secure the container 4 to the support surface 39. On the path from the open position (FIG. 9a) to the locking position of FIG. 9b) the engaging elements 41 move substantially laterally outward after they have moved substantially upward to pass through the holes in the support surface 39. The outward movement of the engaging elements 41 is used to center the container 4 relative to the central plane of symmetry yz, before with which it will be secured to the supporting surface 39.

In fig. 10a, b show another embodiment of the trolley 2, in which the wheels of the first group of wheels 37 and the wheels of the second group of wheels 43 protrude at least partially beyond the outer contour of the trolley 2, i.e. they are not completely integrated into the outline of the cart 2, as shown in the embodiments of FIG. 2-8. This is particularly useful for the first set of wheels 37, since the ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 run predominantly along the first x-axis to rise to the level of the tracks between the two connection points 24.

The ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 may have the shape shown in FIG. 10a, b, containing a maximum tilt angle of approximately 15 degrees. The ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 may include a lower concave portion 104 with a slope that gradually increases upward and an upper convex portion 106 with a slope that gradually decreases upward. There is also a straight portion of the ramp 108 with a constant maximum angle of inclination located between the lower concave portion 104 and the upper convex portion 106. Preferably, the side end points of the ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 have a substantially zero inclination angle where they connect to the points connections 24. This shape ensures a smooth change in the track level and reduces the risk of overturning the trolley 2 carrying the container 4.

The ramps 14, 16, 20, 22 may further comprise support rails 110 comprising a support surface 112 facing substantially downward and spaced from the running surface 114 of the first rail tracks 36. The distance is slightly greater than the diameter of the wheels of the first set of wheels 37, such that the wheels the first group of wheels 37, which project forward and backward beyond the contour of the cart 2, can pass along the working surface 114 below the supporting surface 112. The supporting rails 110 here have a C-shaped profile, partially enclosing the wheels of the first group of wheels 37. The supporting rails 110 here extend along a straight portion of the ramp 108 having a constant maximum inclination angle, so that the cart 2 is prevented from tipping over where the inclination angle is greatest. If the cart 2 carrying container 4 begins to tip over, for example due to the inertia of the cargo in the container sliding downward inside container 4, the wheels of the first set of wheels 37 may become detached from the running surface 114 of the first rail tracks 36 and rise approximately to the supporting surface 112. The wheels of the first set of wheels 37 will then return down to again ride on the running surface 114. Thus, the support rails 110 support the cart 2 on the steep sections of the ramps 14, 16, 20, 22.

In fig. 11 shows how the control system 94 is coupled to other components and modules to control the cart 2. Other components and modules may be implemented in hardware within and/or outside the cart 2. Alternatively or in addition, other components and modules may be implemented using executable software, installing

- 20 044777 located inside and/or outside the cart 2. For example, the control system 94 can be signal connected to the interface module 105 for communication with an external main control system of the automatic storage system 25. The control system 94 can receive commands and/or information from the main system control system of the automatic storage system 25 through the interface module 105. The control system 94 may send status reports, location information, warnings, failures, or other information to the main control system of the automatic storage system 25 through the interface module 105. The interface module 105 preferably provides a wireless communication connection .

The control system 94 is additionally connected by signal to the drive module 107 for controlling the drive motor 71, one or more drive modules 109 to control one or more lifting motors 79, and the drive module 111 to control the locking motor 95. The control system 94 is additionally connected by signal to the module detector 113 for communication with at least one detector element 85 and/or sensor device 69. Thus, the control system 94 can receive signals from the detector element 85 and/or sensor device 69 indicating information about the own position of the cart 2 and the position and/or the direction of travel and/or the speed of other vehicles nearby.

If the above description refers to whole devices or parts that have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are included herein as if they were set forth individually. Reference should be made to the claims to define the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed to cover any such equivalents. The reader will also understand that entire devices or features of the disclosure that are described as optional, preferred, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims.

The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the disclosure. It should be understood that any feature described with respect to any one embodiment may be used alone or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other embodiment or any combination of any other embodiment. . Although at least one exemplary embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it should be understood that other modifications, substitutions and changes are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art and may be changed without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein and this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

In addition, including does not exclude other elements or steps, and a or one does not exclude the plural. In addition, the features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of the other exemplary embodiments described above. Method steps may be applied in any order or in parallel, or may form part of or a more detailed version of another method step. It is understood that the scope of the patent guaranteed herein shall include all such modifications that are reasonably and properly within the scope of the contribution to the prior art. Such changes, substitutions and alternatives may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, which are to be determined from the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

List of reference numbers and symbols:

- a set of paths;

- self-propelled cart;

- shelving device

- container

- storage

- rack

- storage level (not indicated on the drawings)

- walkway

- passage

- place of interaction, 12 - horizontal one-way and two-way tracks perpendicular to the passage tracks

- first sequence of first ramps

- first one-way ramp

- second sequence of second ramps

- second one-way ramp

- entry point level (not indicated on the drawings)

- exit point level (not indicated on the drawings)

- third sequence of third ramps

- 21 044777

- third one-way ramp

- fourth sequence of fourth ramps

- fourth one-way ramp

- connecting point

- automatic storage system

- interaction track

- point of entry

- exit point

- connecting track (not indicated on the drawings)

- front area of the racking device

- first rail tracks

- first group of wheels

- second rail tracks

- trolley support surface

- engaging element

- second group of wheels

- front side of the trolley

- rear side of the trolley

- left side of the trolley

- right side of the trolley

- first track track

- second track track

- first chassis

- second chassis

- guide element

- first wheelbase

- second wheelbase

- container receiving element

- touch device

- drive motor

- gear system

- lead screw

- transmission belt

- lifting motor

- lifting element

- spring

- obstacle detector

- first drive shaft

- second drive shaft

- transmission belt

- accumulator battery

- control system

- locking motor

- first drive shaft

- second drive shaft

101 - vertical column

102 - spring bracket

103 - bracket

104 - lower concave part of the ramp

105 - trolley interface module

106 - upper convex part of the ramp

107 - drive module for steering wheels

108 - straight part of the ramp

109 - drive module for lift control

110 - supporting rails

111 - drive module for controlling locking elements

112 - supporting surface

113 - detector and sensor module

114 - working surface of the rails x - first axis y - second axis z - vertical axis

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Claims (10)

X - number of track columns Y - number of rows of tracks Z - number of track levels h - container height H - cart height W - cart width L - length of the trolley d - range of movement of the supporting surface S - distance from the supporting surface to the longitudinal edges of the trolley W _S - width of the supporting surface L _S - length of the supporting surface CLAIM 1. A self-propelled trolley (2) for automatic placement and removal of containers (4) in a storage rack arrangement (3), containing a first group of wheels (37) for movement along the first axis (x) and a second group of wheels (43) for movement along a second axis (y) extending transversely to the first axis (x), wherein at least one of the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43) is configured to move vertically between a driving position and an idle position, wherein the lower of the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43) is in the driving position, and the upper one of the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43) is in the idling position, and the trolley (2) additionally contains a support surface (39) for placing the lower surface of the container (4) on it, while the cart (2) additionally contains a centering and fastening system for centering and fastening the container (4) on the supporting surface (39), characterized in that the centering and fastening system contains at least two engaging elements (41), which are configured to simultaneously move in opposite directions to each other between an open position and a locking position, wherein the engaging elements (41) are configured to engage in a locking position, with a container (4) for fastening the container (4) on the support surface (39), wherein the first group of wheels (37) and/or the second group of wheels (43) are configured to move vertically using at least one lifting motor (79), wherein the support surface (39 ) is configured to move vertically using at least one lifting motor (79) relative to the lower group of wheels from a set of the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43). 2. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to claim 1, in which the engaging elements (41) are located under the supporting surface (39) in the open position and above the supporting surface (39) in the locking position. 3. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the engaging elements (41) are mechanically connected to each other and driven by one locking motor (95). 4. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to any one of claims 1-3, in which the supporting surface (39) is configured to move vertically relative to the lower group of wheels from the set of the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43), located in working position. 5. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to any one of claims 1-4, in which the supporting surface (39) has a distance (S) to the edges of the trolley (2) along the second axis (y). 6. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43) are driven by one drive motor (71). 7. The self-propelled trolley (2) according to claim 6, in which the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43) are driven simultaneously when the lower group of wheels from the combination of the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43 ) is in the working position, and the upper group of wheels from the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43) is in the idle position. 8. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the first group of wheels (37) and the second group of wheels (43) are mechanically connected to the drive motor (71) through a gear system (73), in which the gear system (73) operates with a first gear ratio and a second gear ratio, wherein the gear system (73) is configured to drive a first set of wheels (37) with a first gear ratio and to drive a second set of wheels (43) with a second gear ratio , wherein the first gear ratio is at least twice, and preferably three times, greater than the second gear ratio. 9. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the centering and fastening system includes at least one locking motor (95) for simultaneously moving at least two engaging elements (41) in opposite directions to each other , between the open position and the locked position. 10. Self-propelled trolley (2) according to any one of claims 1-9, in which the first group of wheels (37) has -