Automated substance storage

A storage cabinet for laboratory articles comprising:

• an upper zone;
• a storage zone arranged below the upper zone and having storage positions for storing the laboratory articles;
• a transport mechanism having a lift carriage movable horizontally and vertically for accessing the storage positions of the storage zone, wherein the transport mechanism comprises a lifting device having a lift column attached in the upper zone and extending into the storage zone;
• a plurality of horizontally moveable supports arranged in the storage zone to support the storage positions, wherein each support provides space for several storage positions above one another and next to one another and is suspended from the upper zone;
• a plurality of cassettes arranged next to one another in a direction X at each support, wherein each cassette forms several storage positions one above the other;
• a drive for displacing the supports horizontally along a direction Y to form a transport gap between supports to accommodate the lift carriage,
• wherein the directions X and Y are perpendicular within a horizontal plane.

A climatic cabinet comprising:

• an upper zone;
• a lower zone;
• storage positions structured and arranged to store objects in the lower zone;
• at least one refrigeration unit structured and arranged to cool at least the lower zone, whereby a temperature in the lower zone is cooler than a temperature in the upper zone;
• a plurality of horizontally moveable supports arranged next to one another in a horizontal direction;
• a moving device arranged to move at least some of the plurality of horizontally movable supports along the horizontal direction to form a transport gap between adjacent supports;
• a lock in the upper zone;
• and
• a transport mechanism structured and arranged to move the objects between the lower zone and the lock, wherein the transport mechanism comprises a lifting device having a lift column attached in the upper zone and extending into the storage zone.

A method of transporting objects in a climatic cabinet having an upper zone, a lower zone, a plurality of horizontally moveable supports arranged next to one another in a horizontal direction, and storage positions for storing objects in one of the upper and lower zone, the method comprising:

• maintaining a temperature in the one of the upper and lower zone different from an other of the upper and lower zone;
• moving at least some of the plurality of horizontally moveable supports along the horizontal direction to form a transport gap between adjacent supports;
• moving objects at least in part in the other of the upper and lower zone to move the objects to and from a lock in a direction having a horizontal component;
• and
• moving the objects between the lower zone and the upper zone via a transport mechanism comprising a lifting device having a lift column attached in the upper zone and extending into the storage zone.

A climatic cabinet comprising:

• an upper zone;
• a lower zone;
• storage positions for storing objects in one of the upper and lower zone;
• a plurality of supports arranged in the lower zone to support the storage positions and to be movable by a drive along a horizontal direction Y, wherein the supports are suspended from the upper zone;
• a plurality of cassettes supported by said supports in the lower zone, wherein each cassette comprises several storage positions one above the other, wherein a plurality of the cassettes are positioned next to one another along a horizontal direction X in each support, wherein the direction X is perpendicular to the direction Y;
• at least one temperature control unit structured and arranged to maintain a temperature in the one of the upper and lower zone different from the other of the upper and lower zone;
• a lock;
• a horizontal transport mechanism arranged at least in part in the other of the upper and lower zone to move the objects to and from the lock in a direction having a horizontal component;
• and
• a vertical transport mechanism structured and arranged to move the objects between the lower zone and the upper zone,
• wherein the vertical transport mechanism comprises a lifting device having a lift column attached in the upper zone and extending into the storage zone, and
• wherein the climatic cabinet further comprises a drive for displacing the plurality of supports along the horizontal direction Y in order to form a transport gap between neighboring supports to accommodate the lifting device.