Storage system, particularly with automatic insertion and retrieval

A storage system comprising:

• an enclosure having a plurality of vertical walls connected to one another via a floor surface, one of said walls comprising an outer wall and an inner wall;
• a rectangular grid array of first storage receptacles disposed along at least said one of said walls, said first storage receptacles being disposed between said outer wall panel and said inner wall;
• second storage receptacles disposed inside said enclosure and spaced from said walls;
• a first track section extending along said one of said walls, parallel thereto;
• a second track section extending to said second storage receptacles;
• a robot mechanism movable along said first track section, said robot mechanism having a robotic arm for accessing at least said first storage receptacles;
• and
• a computer operatively connected to said robot mechanism for controlling movement and access operations thereof and for registering the contents of said storage receptacles.

A storage system comprising:

• an enclosure having a plurality of vertical walls connected to one another via a floor surface;
• a rectangular grid array of first storage receptacles disposed along at least one of said walls;
• second storage receptacles disposed inside said enclosure and spaced from said walls, said second storage receptacles being disposed in at least one columnar arrangement in turn disposed in said enclosure;
• a first track section extending along said one of said walls, parallel thereto;
• a second track section extending to said second storage receptacles, said second track section being one of a plurality of track sections collectively surrounding said columnar arrangement;
• a robot mechanism movable along said first track section, said robot mechanism having a robotic arm for accessing at least said first storage receptacles;
• and
• a computer operatively connected to said robot mechanism for controlling movement and access operations thereof and for registering the contents of said storage receptacles.

A storage system comprising:

• an enclosure having a plurality of vertical walls connected to one another via a floor surface;
• a rectangular grid array of first storage receptacles disposed along at least one of said walls;
• second storage receptacles disposed inside said enclosure and spaced from said walls;
• a multiplicity of cassettes each disposed in a respective one of said first storage receptacles and said second storage receptacles, said cassettes each including at least two storage chambers or compartments accessed via respective covers or doors disposed on opposite sides of the respective cassette;
• a first track section extending along said one of said walls, parallel thereto;
• a second track section extending to said second storage receptacles;
• a robot mechanism movable along said first track section, said robot mechanism having a robotic arm for accessing at least said first storage receptacles;
• and
• a computer operatively connected to said robot mechanism for controlling movement and access operations thereof and for registering the contents of said storage receptacles.