US 5,379,229 AGranted

Automated storage and retrieval system

AssigneeCommunications Test Design, Inc.

InventorsDonald F. Parsons, Kyle Gress, James M. Dempsey, Joseph Ross, William Parsons, Stephen Parsons

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An automated system for storing and retrieving objects from multiple object categories. A plurality of storage rack assemblies is included. Each storage rack assembly has a plurality of slots sized for storing objects. A storage transport is movable alongside each respective storage rack assembly for positioning adjacent any slot. A plurality of horizontal tracks are arranged to be perpendicular to the storage rack assemblies. Each storage rack assembly has an end adjacent the tracks. A runner transport is coupled to and movable on each track for receiving one of the objects from, or providing one of the objects to a storage transport. Two conveyor rack assemblies are located at opposite ends of the tracks, aligned perpendicularly to the track. Conveyor transports are adjacent the conveyor rack assemblies for transferring objects between the conveyor rack assembly and the runner transports. Storage and retrieval operation requests are generated by simultaneously providing positioning signals to a conveyor transport, a runner transport and a storage transport. Storage transports are selected in accordance with a predetermined transport selection function. Storage slots are selected in accordance with a predetermined slot selection function. A database stores the category, age and location of each of the objects.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An automated system for storing and retrieving objects which are assigned to object categories, the system comprising:

a plurality of storage rack assemblies, each storage rack assembly having a plurality of slots sized for storing said objects;
means for generating storage operation requests and retrieval operation requests;
control means responsive to said storage operation requests and retrieval operation requests for generating first, second, third and fourth control signals;
a plurality of independently movable storage transports, each storage adjacent a respective one storage rack assembly in response to said first control signals for transferring an object to any one of said plurality of slots in that respective storage rack assembly and movable in response to said second control signals for retrieving an object from any one of said plurality of slots in that respective storage rack assembly, each storage transport including object handling means for receiving, holding and delivering one of said objects, said plurality of storage transports storing said objects in their respective storage rack assemblies;
a plurality of independently movable runner transports which deliver objects to said plurality of storage transports in response to said third control signals and receive objects from said plurality of storage transports in response to said fourth control signals, each of said runner transports including means for holding one of said objects, wherein:
a first one of the runner transports provides an object to a first one of the storage transports during a first storage operation and receives an object from a second one of the storage transports during a first retrieval operation, and
a second one of the runner transports provides an object to the second storage transport during a second storage operation and receives an object from the first storage transport during a second retrieval operation.

4 more elements

In an automated system for storing and retrieving objects, said system including a plurality of storage rack assemblies, a plurality of independently movable storage transports, and a plurality of independently movable runner transports, a method for transferring objects between said runner transports and said storage rack assemblies, the method comprising the steps of:

moving each storage transport adjacent to a respective one storage rack assembly for transferring an object to any one of said plurality of slots in that respective storage rack assembly;
moving each storage transport for retrieving an object from any one of said plurality of slots in the respective storage rack assembly;
transferring a first object from a first one of the runner transports to a first one of the storage transports during a first storage operation;
transferring a second object from a second one of the runner transports to a second one of the storage transports during a second storage operation,
transferring a third object from the first storage transport to the second runner transport during a first retrieval operation:
and
transferring a fourth object from second storage transport to the first runner transport during a second retrieval operation.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.