Patent ID: 7210889

Claim:
A circulating storage system comprising: more than two storage columns of stored-goods carriers, said stored-goods carriers being arranged one above the other in said more than two storage columns, a plurality of upper horizontal conveyor devices by means of which, during operation, said stored-goods carriers can be transferred from one storage column to an adjacent storage column above said more than two storage columns, a plurality of lower horizontal conveyor devices by means of which, during operation, said stored-goods carriers can be transferred from one storage column to an adjacent storage column beneath said more than two storage columns, a plurality of vertical conveyor devices by means of which, during operation, at least part of said more than two storage columns can be moved in the vertical direction, each vertical conveyor device of said plurality of vertical conveyor devices being assigned to one of said more than two storage columns, wherein each storage column can be moved in the vertical direction, independently of the other storage columns, by the vertical conveyor device assigned to it, and can be synchronized to the movement of said upper and lower horizontal conveyor devices to allow various circulation paths of said stored-goods carriers, said various circulation paths including any of said more than two storage columns.