Storage assembly and a method for storing articles internally of a storage assembly

A storage assembly, comprising:

• a first shelf which comprises:
• a first flank and a second flank which is opposite the first flank;
• a first plurality of planes;
• and a first plurality of supports for supporting articles, which are arranged at the planes of the first plurality of planes;
• a sorting station for supplying articles to be deposited on the supports of the first plurality of supports and/or for receiving articles in arrival from the supports of the first plurality of supports;
• a transit area which is interposed between the first shelf and the sorting station;
• a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting articles between the sorting station and the supports of the first plurality of supports of the first shelf, each transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles comprising a housing for receiving one or more articles;
• loading and unloading means for loading at least an article, which is arranged on a support of the first plurality of supports, on a transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles and for unloading at least an article, which is arranged on a transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles, on a support of the first plurality of supports;
• a first plurality of guides which are arranged flanked to the supports of the first plurality of supports and which extend along the planes of the first plurality of planes in order to guide the transport vehicles of the plurality of transport vehicles so that the loading and unloading means can carry out the loading and unloading operations of the articles;
• lifting means which are arranged at the first flank of the first shelf for lifting a transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles towards a plane of the first plurality of planes, and lowering means which are arranged at the second flank of the first shelf for lowering the transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles from the plane of the first plurality of planes towards the transit area, after the transport vehicle has entirely travelled along the plane of the first plurality of planes;
• wherein:
• each transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles comprises an electric battery for electrically powering the transport vehicle, a control unit connected to the electric battery for detecting the electrical charge status of the electric battery and an electrical connector which is connected to the electric battery for electrically recharging the electric battery;
• the storage assembly comprises a plurality of electrified tracks which are arranged flanked to the guides of the first plurality of guides and which extend along each plane of the plurality of planes of the first shelf;
• the electrified track of each plane of the first plurality of planes of the first shelf extends over the whole length of the plane;
• the storage assembly is configured so that, when a transport vehicle of the plurality of transport vehicles runs along a predetermined plane of the first plurality of planes, then the electrical connector of the transport vehicle scrapes on a corresponding electrified track of the plurality of electrified tracks thus determining the at least partial electrical recharging of the electric battery of the transport vehicle;
• and
• the control unit is programmed to regulate the velocity with which each transport vehicle will have to move along a predetermined plane of the first plurality of planes with the aim of maximising the recharging of the electric battery of the transport vehicle.