Patent ID: 9725239
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: B65G,Y10S

Claim:
1. An automated case unit storage system for handling uncontained case units that are adapted for being palletized for shipping to or from a storage facility, the automated case unit storage system comprising: an array of multilevel storage rack modules having storage areas separated by picking aisles; multiple levels of stacked tiers, each tier providing access to one level of the array of multilevel storage rack modules and including at least one transfer deck and the picking aisles, where the at least one transfer deck connects each picking aisle to other picking aisles on a respective tier; at least one input conveyor connected to at least one of the multiple levels of stacked tiers, the at least one input conveyor being configured so as to engage the uncontained case units input into the array of multilevel storage rack modules; at least one output conveyor connected to at least one of the multiple levels of stacked tiers, each of the at least one output conveyor being configured so as to engage the uncontained case units output from the array of multilevel storage rack modules; and at least one autonomous transport vehicle located on the at least one of the multiple levels of stacked tiers, the at least one autonomous transport vehicle being configured to traverse, with at least one uncontained case unit held thereon, at least one transfer deck and picking aisles of the at least one of the multiple levels of stacked tiers to transport the at least one uncontained case unit between a predetermined storage rack module and one of the input and output conveyors, where the at least one autonomous transport vehicle is capable of accessing each storage area.