Patent ID: 11866256
Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B

Claim 19:
20. A method of transporting a mobile robot along a vertical or inclined passage between storage levels in an order fulfillment facility, the passage comprising a linear drive mount, comprising the steps:
d. extending a drive gear of the mobile robot toward the linear drive mount until the drive gear initially engages the linear drive mount, the drive gear mounted to a shaft;
e. retracting the shaft and drive gear away from the linear drive mount in the event of overlap or improper meshing of the drive gear with the linear drive mount;
f. rotating the shaft and drive gear an amount less than the pitch between gear teeth on the drive gear in the event of overlap or improper meshing of the drive gear with the linear drive mount in said step (a);
g. re-extending the drive gear and shaft toward the linear drive mount after said step (c) until the drive gear again engages the linear drive mount in the event of overlap or improper meshing of the drive gear with the linear drive mount in said step (a); and
h. extending the drive gear into full meshing engagement with the linear drive mount in the event of proper meshing of the drive gear with the linear drive mount.