WO2024119080A1

WO2024119080A1 - Automated storage and retrieval system vehicle stabilizer

Info

Publication number: WO2024119080A1
Application number: PCT/US2023/082088
Authority: WO
Inventors: John BRYJAK; Erik Jensen; Michael Wolf; Douglas FELSECKER
Original assignee: Signode Industrial Group Llc
Priority date: 2022-12-02
Filing date: 2023-12-01
Publication date: 2024-06-06

Abstract

Automated vehicle (10) for an automated storage and retrieval system. The vehicle includes a stabilizer (500) that automatically deploys to engage a support surface and stabilize the vehicle when a container support of the vehicle is moved away from a home position, such as to store a container in a storage rack or retrieve a container from the storage rack.

Description

Automated Storage and Retrieval System Vehicle Stabilizer

Priority

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/429,976, filed December 2, 2022, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference.

Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to automated storage and retrieval systems that use automated vehicles to store containers filled with items on a rack and, afterwards, to retrieve the containers.

Background

[0003] Warehousing and distribution facilities have grown in importance. These facilities receive many types of goods and store them until a later time at which the goods are shipped elsewhere, such as to consumers’ homes or to retail stores. Some of these facilities store hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of unique goods (e.g., unique stock keeping units) in different configurations, such as on pallets or in bins. These pallets and/or bins are typically stored on storage racks to maximize the use of vertical space. To increase efficiency, many of these facilities have installed one of many types of automated storage and retrieval systems that use warehouse-management software to keep track of the goods and their locations and that use automated vehicles to store the pallets and bins in and retrieve the pallets and bins from the storage racks. In certain instances, the floor of the facility in which an automated storage and retrieval system is located are not perfectly flat. To reduce downtime and minimize operator intervention, the automated vehicles of the automated storage and retrieval system should be able to traverse these imperfect floors without impacting their abi li ty to store and retrieve the pallets and bins.

Summary

[0004] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an automated vehicle for an automated storage and retrieval system. The vehicle includes a stabilizer that automatically deploys to engage a support surface and stabilize the vehicle when a container support of the vehicle is moved away from a home position, such as to store a container in a storage rack or retrieve a container from the storage rack.

Brief Description of the Figures

[0005] Figure 1 A is a top perspective view of one example embodiment of an automated vehicle of the present disclosure with the container support in the home position.

[0006] Figure IB is a top perspective view of the automated vehicle of Figure 1 A with the container support in the raised position.

[0007] Figure 2A corresponds to Figure 1A and shows the container support of the automated vehicle supporting a container.

[0008] Figure 2B corresponds to Figure IB and shows the container support of the automated vehicle supporting a container.

[0009] Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the automated vehicle of Figure 1 A with the container support in the home position.

[0010] Figure 4A is a side elevational view⁷ of the automated vehicle of Figure 1 A with the container support in the home position and the stabilizer in the retracted position. The automated vehicle is supported by a support surface.

[0011] Figure 4B corresponds to Figure 4A but shows the container support in the raised position and the stabilizer in the stabilizing position. [0012] Figure 5 A is a side elevational view of part of the automated vehicle of Figure 1 A with the container support in the home position and the stabilizer in the retracted position. Certain components of the automated vehicle are removed to show the details of the stabilizer.

[0013] Figure 5B corresponds to Figure 5 A but shows the container support in the raised position and the stabilizer in the stabilizing position.

Detailed Description

[0014] While the systems, devices, and methods described herein may be embodied in various forms, the drawings show and the specification describes certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments. Not all of the components shown in the drawings and described in the specification may be required, and certain implementations may include additional, different, or fewer components. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components; the shapes, sizes, and materials of the components; and the manners of connections of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. Unless otherwise indicated, any directions referred to in the specification reflect the orientations of the components show n in the corresponding drawings and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further, terms that refer to mounting methods, such as mounted, connected, etc., are not intended to be limited to direct mounting methods but should be interpreted broadly to include indirect and operably mounted, connected, and like mounting methods. This specification is intended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure and as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0015] Figures 1A-5B show an automated container-transport vehicle 10 (■‘vehicle” for short) of the present disclosure for use in an automated storage and retrieval system (“AS/RS” for short). The AS/RS includes a storage rack, multiple containers 1000 (Figures 2A and 2B). multiple vehicles 10, and an AS/RS control system. Generally, in operation, the AS/RS control system communicates with the vehicles 10 over a communication network and controls the vehicles 10 to load containers 1000 into and unload containers 1000 from the storage rack.

[0016] The vehicles 10 are configured to transport containers 1000 to and from the storage rack, load the containers 1000 into storage areas of the storage rack for storage, and unload the containers 1000 from the storage areas of the storage rack. The vehicle 10 includes a chassis 100, a mast 200, a container support 300 and associated container-support actuator 300a, a pair of drive wheels 410 and 420 and associated drive-wheel actuators 410a and 420a, a first pair of undriven wheels 430 and 440. a second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460, a stabilizer 500, a power source 600, one or more navigation devices, a network interface, and a vehicle controller.

[0017] The chassis 100 includes any suitable frame configured to support the other components of the vehicle 10. The mast 200 includes a rail support 210 and a rail 220. The rail support 210 is connected to (such as via welding or via fasteners) and extends generally vertically from the chassis 100. The rail 220 is connected to (such as via welding or via fasteners) the support 210 and is oriented generally vertically.

[0018] The container support 300 includes a support frame 310 configured to support the container 1000. a rail connector 320 connected to the support frame 310, and a support actuator 330 (which is a threaded rod in this example embodiment but may be any other suitable component) extending downward from the rail connector 320. The rail connector 320 is slidably mounted to the rail 220 such that the container support 300 is movable relative to the chassis 100 and the mast 200 between a home position (Figures 1 A, 2A, 3, 4A, and 5 A) and a raised position (Figures IB, 2B, 4B, and 5B). The container-support actuator 300a is operably connected to the container support 300 and configured to move the container support 300 between the home and raised positions. In this example embodiment, the container-support actuator 300a includes an electric motor operable to turn a lead screw to extend and retract a piston to raise and lower the container support 300, respectively. This is merely one example, and the container-support actuator may include any suitable actuator, such as a linear actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a scissor lift, a belt drive, or a rack-and-pinion actuator.

[0019] The first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 are mounted to the underside of the chassis 100 adjacent opposite sides of the chassis 100. The first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 have a common rotational axis and are positioned about halfway between the front and rear ends lOOf and lOOr of the chassis 100, as best shown in Figures 4A and 4B. The first drive-wheel actuator 410a is mounted to the chassis 100 and operably connected to the first drive wheel 410 and configured to drive the first drive wheel 410. The second drive- wheel actuator 420a is mounted to the chassis 100 and operably connected to the second drive wheel 420 and configured to drive the second drive wheel 420. The first and second drive-wheel actuators 410a and 420a include electric motors in this example embodiment, though they may include any other suitable actuator(s) in other embodiments.

[0020] The first pair of undriven wheels 430 and 440 are mounted to the underside of the chassis 100 adjacent opposite sides of the chassis 100 and near the front end lOOf of the chassis 100. The second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460 are mounted to the underside of the chassis 100 adjacent opposite sides of the chassis 100 and near the rear end lOOr of the chassis 100. The undriven wheels 430, 440. 450, and 460 are freely rotatable about both horizontal and vertical axes to provide the vehicle 10 with freedom of movement.

[0021] As best shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460 is slightly elevated relative to the first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 and the first pair of undriven wheels 430 and 440. More specifically, the bottommost points of the first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 and the undriven wheels 430 and 440 define a plane, and the bottommost points of the undriven wheels 450 and 460 are elevated relative to that plane. When the vehicle 10 is operating on a flat support surface, such as a floor F, the vehicle is supported by the first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 and the first pair of undriven wheels 430 and 440, while the second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460 is elevated off of the floor F. This gives the chassis 100 the ability to rock back onto the second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460 if the first pair of undriven wheels 430 and 440 encounters an obstacle, such as a bump on the floor F, without losing contact between the first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 and the floor F. One problem that this gives rise to is that the vehicle 10 can become somewhat unstable when the container support 300 is raised and lowered to move containers.

[0022] The stabilizer 500 solves this problem by automatically deploying when the container support 300 is raised from the home position to engage the support surface and stabilize the vehicle 10. As best shown in Figures 4A-5B, the stabilizer 500 includes an elongated body 510 having a first end 512 and a second end 514 and a foot 520 connected to the second end 514 of the body 510. The foot 520 includes a roller, such as a cam roller or a ball roller, that is rotatable relative to the body 510 (though other embodiments of the stabilizer do not include such a roller). The body 510 is pivotably mounted between its first and second ends 512 and 514 to the chassis 100 by a pivot 500p between the first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 and the second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460. The stabilizer 500 is pivotable about the pivot 500p between a retracted position (Figures 4A and 5A) and a stabilizing position (Figures 4B and 5B). When the stabilizer 500 is in the retracted position, the foot 520 of the stabilizer 500 is above the bottommost points of the second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460. When the stabilizer 500 is in the stabilizing position, the foot 520 of the stabilizer 500 is below the bottommost points of the second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460. A stabilizer-biasing element 500b, which includes a gas spring in this example embodiment but may include any other suitable biasing element, biases the stabilizer 500 to its stabilizing position.

[0023] As shown in Figures 4A and 5A, when the container support 300 is in the home position, stabilizer 500 is in the retracted position. In this configuration, the stabilizer actuator 330 of the container support 300 engages the first end 512 of the body 510 of the stabilizer 500 and holds the stabilizer 500 in the retracted position against the biasing force exerted by the stabilizer-biasing element 500b. As the container support 300 moves from the home position to the raised position, which is shown in Figures 4B and 5B, the stabilizer actuator 330 disengages the first end 512, at which point the stabilizer-biasing element 500b forces the stabilizer 500 to pivot to the stabilizing position. As this occurs, the foot 520 of the stabilizer 500 engages the support surface, such as the floor F, to stabilize the vehicle 10. When the container support 300 is lowered back to the home position, the stabilizer actuator 330 again engages the first end 512 of the body 510 of the stabilizer 500, pivoting it back to its retracted position. The stabilizer of the present disclosure solves the above-described problem by stabilizing the vehicle and preventing it from rocking as the container support raises and lowers to store and retrieve containers.

[0024] The navigation devices include any suitable devices used to guide the vehicle 10. These devices can include (but are not limited to): magnetic sensors, laser sensors, gyroscopes, optical sensors, global positioning system receivers, radio-frequency identification sensors, near-field communication sensors, and/or proximity sensors.

[0025] The communications interface is configured to establish and facilitate bidirectional communication between the vehicle controller (described below) and an external device, such as the AS/RS control system (described below). In operation, once the communications interface establishes communication with the external device, the vehicle controller can send data (via the communications interface) associated with the operation of the vehicle 10 to the external device and receive data (via the communications interface) from the external device. The communications interface may be any suitable wired or wireless communication interface having any suitable architecture and utilizing any suitable protocol such as, but not limited to 802.11 (Wi-Fi); 802.15 (including Bluetooth); 802.16 (WiMAX); 802.22; cellular standards such as CDMA, CDMA2000, and WCDMA; radio frequency (e.g., RFID); infrared; and near-field communication (NFC) protocols.

[0026] The vehicle controller includes a processing device (or devices) communicatively connected to a memory device (or devices). For instance, the vehicle controller may be a programmable logic controller. The processing device may include any suitable processing device such as, but not limited to. a general- purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital-signal processor, one or more microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a digitalsignal processor core, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, one or more field-programmable gate array circuits, one or more integrated circuits, and/or a state machine. The memory device may include any suitable memory device such as, but not limited to, read-only memory, random-access memory, one or more digital registers, cache memory, one or more semiconductor memory’ devices, magnetic media such as integrated hard disks and/or removable memory, magnetooptical media, and/or optical media. The memory device stores instructions executable by the processing device to control operation of the vehicle controller. The vehicle controller is communicatively and operably connected to the containersupport actuator 300a, the first and second drive-wheel actuators 410a and 420a, the navigation device, and the network interface to receive signals from and to control those components.

[0027] The power source 600 may include a battery' or any other suitable component, such as a supercapacitor, configured to power the actuators and other electrically powered components of the vehicle 10. In this example embodiment, the power source 600 is supported by the chassis between the first and second drive wheels 410 and 420 and the first pair of undriven wheels 430 and 440. The weight of the power source 600 in part causes the second pair of undriven wheels 450 and 460 to be raised off the support surface when the support surface is flat. In other embodiments, the power source is not part of the vehicle 10.

[0028] In certain embodiments, one or more of the undriven wheels may be driven wheels.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the stabilizer-biasing element biases the stabilizer to the retracted position, and the stabilizer actuator is configured to automatically move the stabilizer from its retracted position to its stabilizing position when the container support is moved from its home position.

Claims

1. A vehicle for an automated storage and retrieval system, the vehicle comprising: a chassis; a container support movable relative to the chassis between a home position and a raised position; one or more driven wheels supported by the chassis; a first wheel supported by the chassis on a first side of the one or more driven wheels: a second wheel supported by the chassis on a second side of the one or more driven wheels; and a stabilizer comprising a body and a foot connected to the body, the stabilizer movable between a retracted position and a stabilizing position, wherein the foot is a first vertical distance from the chassis when the stabilizer is in the retracted position and a second greater vertical distance from the chassis when the stabilizer is in the stabilizing position, wherein the stabilizer is in the retracted position when the container support is in the home position and in the stabilizing position when the container support is in the raised position.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second wheel is elevated relative to the one or more driven wheels such that a bottommost portion of the second wheel is closer to the chassis than bottommost portions of the one or more driven wheels.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the second wheel is elevated relative to the first wheel such that a bottommost portion of the second wheel is closer to the chassis than a bottommost portion of the first wheel.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the foot of the stabilizer is below the bottommost portion of the second wheel when the stabilizer is in the stabilizing position.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the foot of the stabilizer is no lower than the bottommost portion of the second wheel when the stabilizer is in the retracted position.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the container support comprises a stabilizer actuator configured to retain the stabilizer in the retracted position when the container support is in the home position.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the stabilizer actuator is positioned to engage the stabilizer when the container support is in the home position to retain the stabilizer in the retracted position.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a stabilizer-biasing element biasing the stabilizer to the stabilizing position.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the stabilizer actuator is positioned to disengage the stabilizer as the container support moves from the home position to the raised position, thereby causing the stabilizer-biasing element to force the stabilizer to move to the stabilizing position.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the stabilizer is pivotable between the retracted and stabilizing positions.

1 1. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the foot of the stabilizer comprises a roller rotatable relative to the body of the stabilizer.

12. A method of stabilizing a vehicle of an automated storage and retrieval system, the method comprising: moving the vehicle along a support surface to a location; raising a container support of the vehicle from a home position to a raised position; and as the container support ascends from the home position to the raised position, moving a stabilizer of the vehicle from a retracted position to a stabilizing position such that a foot of the stabilizer engages the support surface to stabilize the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising exerting a force on the stabilizer via a stabilizer-biasing element to move the stabilizer from the retracted position to the stabilizing position.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: lowering the container support from the raised position to the home position; and as the container support descends from the raised position to the home position, moving the stabilizer from the stabilizing position to the retracted position such that the foot of the stabilizer disengages the support surface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising moving the stabilizer from the stabilizing position to the retracted position by exerting a force on the stabilizer via a stabilizer actuator of the container support.