Method for operating a bin storage system and robot vehicle for transporting storage bins

A method of operating an automated storage system, the automated storage system comprising a three-dimensional storage structure having a plurality of pillars which are positioned with internal distances and in a rectangular arrangement, wherein the rectangular arrangement of the pillars define storage columns for the storage of a plurality of vertically-stacked storage bins, and a vehicle support on the pillars, the vehicle support comprising a plurality of supporting rails arranged in a two-dimensional matrix of meshes, said supporting rails arranged in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

• and a plurality of remotely controlled robot vehicles movable along the supporting rails, said robot vehicles comprising a vehicle body having a cavity for receiving a storage bin from the storage columns in the bin storage system, a plurality of rolling members attached to the vehicle body and arranged to allow the robot vehicle to travel in the first direction and the second direction along the supporting rails of the bin storage system, and a lifting device arranged to lift a storage bin into the cavity, wherein the robot vehicle can move along the supporting rails of the storage structure to positions immediately above a storage column and lift bins into the cavity for further transport along the supporting rails of the storage structure;
• wherein at least some of the supporting rails arranged at outer border areas of the vehicle support form border meshes having reduced average cross sectional areas compared to the average cross sectional area of the remaining meshes of the vehicle support, and wherein the vehicle body covers at most the lateral cross section of a central storage column in the first direction, the central storage column being a storage column situated immediately below the cavity of the robot vehicle, and covers the lateral cross section of more than one central storage column in the second direction during use;
• the method comprising:
• positioning a cavity of one of the plurality of robot vehicles such that the cavity is aligned with one of the storage columns to permit the cavity to receive a storage bin from the storage columns, wherein the cavity is arranged centrally within a body of the one of the plurality of robot vehicles;
• receiving a storage bin from the storage column into the cavity;
• and
• moving the robot vehicle along the bin storage system, using a first set of vehicle rolling means arranged to allow the robot vehicle to travel in the first direction along the supporting rails, and a second set of vehicle rolling means arranged to allow the robot vehicle to travel in the second direction along the supporting rails.