Patent ID: 8920098
Filing Date: 2014-12-30
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
1. A storage unit comprising: a plurality of rack units each having a plurality of container supports spaced one above the other, said supports being disposed in pairs on opposite side walls of the rack units to form storage locations for containers; a controllable transport device comprising at least one lifting platform supported between first and second vertical drivers and extending in a direction X with reference to a set of orthogonal coordinates X, Y, Z, past a plurality of said storage locations and moveable in a vertical direction Z and a chassis supported on the lifting platform and movable in a first horizontal direction X along the lifting platform past the plurality of storage locations, for placing containers in or removing containers from the storage locations, a transfer device comprising at least one carrier plate arranged on the chassis and further comprising a plurality of transfer units mounted on the at least one carrier plate and arranged side-by-side along the first horizontal direction X direction for placing the containers into and removing them from stock along a second horizontal direction Y relative to the lifting platform and relative to the chassis, wherein each transfer unit can be associated with one container and each transfer unit can be controlled and operated separately for moving individual containers into and out of the storage locations along the second horizontal direction Y successively or simultaneously with similar movements of other individual containers associated with other of the transfer units for moving the containers into and out of the storage locations, and a control unit that identifies a neighbouring area of the storage rack containing a number of storage locations corresponding to the number of containers associated with the transfer units, and the controllable transport device being controllable for simultaneously moving the number of containers individually associated with the transfer units to the identified neighbouring area of the storage rack.