Automated storage tower with multiple rows

An automated storage and retrieval system configured to store a plurality of storage containers, comprising

• a storage tower comprising a plurality of horizontally extending container supporting frameworks distributed with vertical offsets, wherein the plurality of horizontal container supporting frameworks comprises a first container supporting framework and at least one second container supporting framework arranged beneath and extending parallel to the first container supporting framework, wherein each of the first container support framework and the at least one second container supporting framework comprises a horizontally extending container support with principal directions in a first direction and an orthogonal second direction, each container support being configured as a matrix of container spaces with a plurality of columns of container spaces arranged in the first direction and a plurality of rows of container spaces arranged in the second direction, wherein each row of container spaces of the first container supporting framework is configured to receive a plurality of storage containers and displays at least one opening extending along the second direction, the at least one opening having an opening size being at least a maximum horizontal cross section of the storage containers to be stored, wherein the at least one opening of the first container supporting framework and the at least one opening of the at least one second container supporting framework can be aligned vertically with respect to each other, wherein at least one container support is displaceable along the second direction, and wherein at least one container supporting framework further comprises a support displacement device configured to displace the displaceable container support;
• a plurality of storage containers supported on the plurality of horizontally arranged container supporting frameworks,
• a remotely operated vehicle configured to move laterally above the plurality of container supporting frameworks, wherein the remotely operated vehicle comprises a lifting device configured to grab and vertically lift a storage container, and
• a control system configured to monitor and control wirelessly movements of the remotely operated vehicle.

A method for storing and retrieving storage containers from an automated storage and retrieval system, the automated storage and retrieval system comprising a storage tower comprising a plurality of horizontally extending container supporting frameworks distributed with vertical offsets, wherein the plurality of horizontal container supporting frameworks comprises a first container supporting framework and at least one second container supporting framework arranged beneath and extending parallel to the first container supporting framework, wherein each of the first container support framework and the at least one second container supporting framework comprises a horizontally extending container support with principal directions in a first direction and an orthogonal second direction, each container support being configured as a matrix of container spaces with a plurality of columns of container spaces arranged in the first direction and a plurality of rows of container spaces arranged in the second direction, wherein each row of container spaces of the first container supporting framework is configured to receive a plurality of storage containers and displays at least one opening extending along the second direction, the at least one opening having an opening size being at least a maximum horizontal cross section of the storage containers to be stored, wherein the at least one opening of the first container supporting framework and the at least one opening of the at least one second container supporting framework can be aligned vertically with respect to each other, wherein at least one container support is displaceable along the second direction, and wherein at least one container supporting framework further comprises a support displacement device configured to displace the displaceable container support;

• a plurality of storage containers supported on the plurality of horizontally arranged container supporting frameworks;
• a remotely operated vehicle configured to move laterally above the plurality of container supporting frameworks, wherein the remotely operated vehicle comprises a lifting device configured to grab and vertically lift a storage container;
• and a control system configured to monitor and control wirelessly movements of the remotely operated vehicle;
• wherein the plurality of horizontal container supporting frameworks comprises a number of j parallel container supporting frameworks, where j is an integer of 2 or more, wherein the at least one container support of the at least one second container supporting framework are displaceable along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and
• wherein the method comprises the following steps:
• A. moving the remotely operated vehicle to a position where its lifting device is positioned in vertical alignment above either
• a) a target storage container supported on the first container supporting framework, or
• b) if the target storage container is situated on one of a j−1 parallel container supporting frameworks beneath the first container supporting framework, a target opening of the first container supporting framework being vertically alignable with the target storage container,
• B. if the target storage container is not positioned in vertical alignment below the target opening,
• a) displacing the displaceable container support of the container supporting framework, on which the target storage container is supported in the second direction to position the target storage container in vertical alignment below the target opening of the first container supporting framework or
• b) if the at least one container support of the first container supporting framework is displaceable along the second direction, displacing the at least one displaceable container support of the one or more container supporting frameworks situated above, and having a same position in the first direction as a row of the displaceable container support, on which the target storage container is supported, an equal distance in the second direction opposite of the direction in a) to position the target storage container in vertical alignment below the target opening of the first container supporting framework or
• c) if the at least one container support of the first container supporting framework is displaceable along the second direction, displacing both the target storage container supporting displaceable container support as described in step a) and the one or more displaceable container supports as described in step b) to position the target storage container in vertical alignment below the target opening,
• C. grabbing and lifting the target storage container by use of the lifting device and
• D. moving the remotely operated vehicle with the target storage container to a horizontally different location.