US 8,998,554 B2Granted

Multilevel vertical conveyor platform guides

AssigneeSymbotic LLC

InventorsStephen C. Toebes, Robert Sullivan

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A multilevel vertical conveyor system for transporting uncontained case units to and from a multilevel storage structure having an array of vertically stacked storage levels is provided and includes a frame having platform guide members, a drive member connected to the frame, and support platforms coupled to the drive member. The drive member is configured to move the support platforms relative to the frame in a substantially continuous vertical loop, each of the support platforms being configured to support multiple uncontained case units where each of the multiple uncontained case units is disposed at a respective predetermined area of a respective support platform, the support platforms have support members that are guided by guide members substantially throughout a path of the substantially continuous vertical loop, where the support members are guided in three point contact by the guide members substantially throughout the path.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A multilevel vertical conveyor system for transporting uncontained case units to and from a multilevel storage structure having an array of vertically stacked storage levels, the multilevel vertical conveyor system comprises:

a frame having discontinuous platform guide members;
a drive member connected to the frame;
and
support platforms coupled to the drive member, each of the support platforms having support members and at least two follower members configured to engage the discontinuous platform guide members;
where the drive member is configured to move the support platforms relative to the frame in a substantially continuous vertical loop, each of the support platforms being configured to support multiple uncontained case units substantially throughout the substantially continuous vertical loop where each of the multiple uncontained case units is disposed at a respective predetermined area of a respective support platform, the support members are guided by the discontinuous platform guide members substantially throughout a path of the substantially continuous vertical loop, where the support members are guided in three point contact substantially throughout the path through engagement of the at least two follower members with the discontinuous platform guide members where three point contact is effected by one of the at least two follower members engaging a respective discontinuous platform guide member when another of the at least two follower members passes a discontinuity in the respective guide member.

2 more elements

A transport system for a storage and retrieval system having an array of storage levels where each storage level has respective storage areas, the transport system comprising:

a vertical loop conveyor having a frame with discontinuous platform guide members and support platforms movably coupled to the frame, the support platforms having at least two follower members configured to engage the discontinuous platform guide members and being connected to the frame through a three point of contact connection effected by one of the at least two follower members engaging a respective discontinuous platform guide member when another of the at least two follower members passes a discontinuity in the respective guide member;
and
a transfer device located on respective ones of the storage levels;
wherein each support platform is configured to hold one or more uncontained case units in predetermined areas of the support platform substantially throughout a substantially continuous vertical loop of the vertical loop conveyor and the vertical loop conveyor is configured to transport the one or more uncontained case units to or from more than one of the storage levels where the one or more uncontained cases may be selectably placed on or removed from the vertical loop conveyor by the transfer device, the vertical loop conveyor having a conveyor to transfer device interface configured to transfer the uncontained case units substantially directly between each support platform and the transfer device for transport to or from the storage areas.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/327,088Filed 15 Dec 2011 · us provisional application
Priority: 15 Dec 2010
Published: US 2012/0186192 A126 Jul 2012
Granted: 7 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B65G 1/0435
Using stacker cranes: with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area
B65G 1/04
Storage devices: mechanical
B65G 17/123
Comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element: arranged to keep the load-carriers…
B65G 17/18
Comprising individual load-carriers which are pivotally mounted, e.g. for free-swinging movement: and move in contact with a guiding surface