Automated storage and retrieval system

Abstract

An autonomous transport vehicle including a frame forming a payload area, telescoping arms movably mounted to the frame, each telescoping arm being configured for extension and retraction relative to the frame along an extension axis to effect transfer of at least one pickface to and from the payload area, and traversal, relative to the frame, in at least one direction that is angled to the extension axis, and at least one tab extending from each telescoping arm where the at least one tab extends in a direction transverse to the direction of extension and retraction, and the at least one tab on one of the telescoping arms opposes the at least one tab on another of the telescoping arms.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle comprising:
 a frame forming a payload area having a payload bay with a pickface support plane;   at least one upright mast member mounted upright to the frame, where the at least one upright mast member is mounted to and forms, with the payload bay, the payload area of the frame; and   extension arms movably mounted to the at least one upright mast member for movement in at least a vertical direction, each extension arm being configured for
 extension and retraction relative to the frame along an extension axis to effect transfer of at least one pickface to and from the payload area, and 
 wherein the payload area has a payload justification traverse member movable relative to the payload area of the frame, in at least one direction that crosses the extension axis. 
   
     
     
         2 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one direction is one or more of the vertical direction and a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         3 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a three degree of freedom drive connected to the extension arms to effect the traversal of the payload justification traverse member and the extension and retraction of the extension arms. 
     
     
         4 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the payload justification traverse member and at least one extension arm is a variable distance such that the payload justification traverse member has a variable location relative to extension and retraction of the at least one extension arm. 
     
     
         5 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein traversal of the payload justification traverse member is in a plane substantially parallel with a pickface support plane of the payload area to effect a full payload area justification of the at least one pickface independent of a size of the at least one pickface. 
     
     
         6 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that the extension arms are raised and lowered, along a lift axis, relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         7 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 6 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that the extension axis of the extension arms is raised and lowered along the lift axis relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         8 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the extension axis is raised and lowered along the lift axis so that extension and retraction of the extension arms is within store shelves above a pickface support plane of the payload area. 
     
     
         9 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the store shelves are stacked above the pickface support plane. 
     
     
         10 . A storage and retrieval system comprising:
 at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle including
 a frame forming a payload area having a payload bay with a pickface support plane, 
 at least one upright mast member mounted upright to the frame, where the at least one upright mast member is mounted to and forms with the payload bay, the payload area of the frame, and 
 extension arms movably mounted to the at least one upright mast member for movement in at least a vertical direction, each extension arm being configured for
 extension and retraction relative to the frame along an extension axis, and 
 wherein the payload area has a payload justification traverse member movable relative to the payload area of the frame, in at least one direction that crosses the extension axis; 
 
   at least one picking aisle configured to allow travel of the at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle through the at least one picking aisle; and   at least one storage shelf located adjacent the at least one picking aisle, where extension and retraction of the extension arms effects transfer of at least one pickface between the at least one storage shelf and the payload area.   
     
     
         11 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one storage shelf includes more than one stacked storage shelf accessible from a common travel surface of the at least one picking aisle. 
     
     
         12 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one direction is one or more of the vertical direction and a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         13 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle includes a three degree of freedom drive connected to the extension arms to effect the traversal of the payload justification traverse member and the extension and retraction of the extension arms. 
     
     
         14 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 10 , wherein a distance between the payload justification traverse member and at least one extension arm is a variable distance such that the payload justification traverse member has a variable location relative to extension and retraction of the at least one extension arm. 
     
     
         15 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 10 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that the extension arms are raised and lowered, along a lift axis, relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         16 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 15 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that the extension axis of the extension arms is raised and lowered along the lift axis relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         17 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 16 , wherein the extension axis is raised and lowered along the lift axis so that extension and retraction of the extension arms is within store shelves above a pickface support plane of the payload area. 
     
     
         18 . The storage and retrieval system of  claim 17 , wherein the store shelves are stacked above the pickface support plane. 
     
     
         19 . A method for transferring pickfaces within a storage and retrieval system that includes at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle, at least one picking aisle having a picking aisle deck configured to allow the at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle to travel along the at least one picking aisle and at least one storage shelf disposed adjacent the at least one picking aisle, the method comprising:
 positioning extension arms of the at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle along at least one axis relative to a payload area of the frame of the at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle so that the extension arms are disposed at a position corresponding to a predetermined location of the at least one storage shelf, where the extension arms are positioned vertically along at least one upright mast member that is mounted upright to and forms, with a payload bay of the frame, a payload area of the frame;   extending the extension arms so that the extension arms straddle opposing sides of a pickface;   transferring the pickface into the payload area of the at least one autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle through a retraction of the extension; and   moving a payload justification traverse member of the payload area along another axis relative to the payload area of the frame in at least one direction that axis crosses the other axis.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that the extension arms are raised and lowered, along a lift axis, relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that an extension axis of the extension arms is raised and lowered along the lift axis relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the extension axis is raised and lowered along the lift axis so that extending and retracting the extension arms is within store shelves above a pickface support plane of the payload area. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the store shelves are stacked above the pickface support plane. 
     
     
         24 . An autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle comprising:
 a frame forming a payload area having a payload bay with a pickface support plane;   at least one upright mast member mounted upright to the frame, where the at least one upright mast member is mounted to and forms, with the payload bay, the payload area of the frame;   extension arms movably mounted to the at least one upright mast member for movement in at least a vertical direction, each extension arm being configured for
 extension and retraction relative to the frame along an extension axis to effect transfer of at least one pickface to and from the payload area, and 
 wherein the payload area has a payload justification traverse member movable relative to the frame, in at least one direction that crosses the extension axis; and 
   wherein the payload justification traverse member effects justification of the at least one pickface in the direction that crosses the extension axis independent of extension and retraction of the extension arms.   
     
     
         25 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 24 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that the extension arms are raised and lowered, along a lift axis, relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         26 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 25 , wherein the upright mast member is arranged so that the extension axis of the extension arms is raised and lowered along the lift axis relative to the payload area of the frame. 
     
     
         27 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 26 , wherein the extension axis is raised and lowered along the lift axis so that extension and retraction of the extension arms is within store shelves above a pickface support plane of the payload area. 
     
     
         28 . The autonomous guided autonomous transport vehicle of  claim 27 , wherein the store shelves are stacked above the pickface support plane.