Patent ID: 11891246
Assignee: AUTOSTORE TECHNOLOGY AS
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 9:
10. An automated storage and retrieval system comprising:
a three-dimensional grid; and
at least one container handling vehicle for picking up storage containers from a three-dimensional grid of an underlying storage system, comprising:
a first set of wheels for moving the vehicle along an X direction on a rail system of the grid; and
a second set of wheels for moving the vehicle along a Y direction on the rail system of the grid, the Y direction being perpendicular to the X direction;
a vehicle body, the vehicle body having a vehicle body footprint defined by horizontal peripheries in the X and Y directions of the vehicle body, the vehicle body comprising a first section and a second section, the first section having a first footprint and the second section having a second footprint, the first and second footprints being defined by horizontal peripheries in the X and Y directions of the first and second sections, respectively;
a lifting device for lifting storage containers from the storage system; and
a lifting device motor arranged to drive the lifting device when lifting storage containers from the storage system,
wherein the first section and the second section are arranged side-by-side such that a total area of the first and second footprints equals a total area of the vehicle body footprint, and a centre point of the first footprint is arranged off centre relative a centre point of the vehicle body footprint,
wherein the first section defines a storage container receiving space which is configured to accommodate a storage container, the first section also accommodating the lifting device for lifting a storage container from the storage system, and
wherein the lifting device motor is accommodated in the second section; and
a lifting axle,
wherein the lifting device motor is a connected at one end of the lifting axle,
wherein an extension of a lifting device axle extends into the second section, and
wherein a hollow shaft gear is connected directly to the extension of the lifting device axle,
the grid comprises a rail system, on which the container handling vehicle may move, and a plurality of stacks of storage containers,
the rail system comprises a first set of parallel tracks arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel tracks arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the first and second sets of tracks form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane comprising a plurality of adjacent grid cells, each grid cell comprising a grid opening defined by a pair of opposed tracks of the first set of tracks and a pair of opposed tracks of the second set of tracks;
the plurality of stacks of storage containers are arranged in storage columns located beneath the rail system, wherein each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening;
the container handling vehicle features a vehicle body comprising substantially vertical walls on all sides forming a footprint defined by horizontal peripheries in the X and Y directions of the vehicle body, and a first section and a second section arranged side-by-side;
the first section defines a storage container receiving space which is configured to accommodate a storage container, the first section also accommodating the lifting device for lifting a storage container from the storage system; and
the lifting device motor is accommodated in the second section,
wherein a footprint of the first section is substantially equal to a grid cell defined by a cross-sectional area, including width of the tracks, between a pair of opposed tracks of the first set of tracks and a pair of opposed tracks of the second set of tracks, and the second section extends partially into a neighboring grid opening when the first section is positioned over an adjacent grid opening.