The present invention relates to the field of automated logistics and storage systems. More specifically the invention relates to a storage bin and a system with storage bins configured to be placed in vertical stacks of bins in a grid structure.

BACKGROUND

The applicant's already known AutoStore® system is a storage system comprising a three dimensional storage grid containing similar sized storage bins that are stacked on top of each other to a certain height. The storage grid is constructed with aluminium columns interconnected by rails on the top level. A number of vehicles, or robots, are arranged to run on the rails.

Each vehicle is equipped with a lifting device for picking up, carrying, and placing bins that are stored in the cells of the storage grid. Each vehicle is further configured to pick up a standardized sized bin from one location and place it at another location.

A vehicle or robot may for instance be remotely operated and controlled to pick up the upper most bin from a stack of bins stored in a cell, and move the bin to another cell or a delivery station and vice versa. In order to be able to do this a robot vehicle is equipped with a lifting frame which is connectible to a storage bin. The lifting frame may be lowered or raised in a vertical direction, thus lowering or lifting bins. In this way, a bin can be picked up from one cell in the storage grid and placed in another cell or at another location.

Storage bins and systems described in prior art comprise similar sized bins and handling of these. The limitations of handling only bins of same size are disadvantageous since they set a clear upper limit with regards to degree of bin content grouping.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a bin with a flexible construction enabling grouping of several bin together in a set of bins. The set of bins may comprise different sized bins that can be lifted and placed in one operation.

Storage systems described in prior art focus on handling of one bin at a time, where bins have same sizes. The limitation of handling only one bin at a time is disadvantageous since it sets a clear upper limit with regards flexibility and degree of bin content grouping.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a flexible storage bin and storage system adapted for being handled by a lifting frame handling several bins of different shapes at the same time.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is defined by a storage bin configured to be placed in a vertical stack of storage bins in a grid structure and to be lifted by a lifting frame. The storage bin comprises a set of cavities in its upper edge section, where the cavities are adapted for accommodating lifting means of the lifting frame.

The invention is further defined by a storage system comprising at least two storage bins configured to be positioned next to each other and in a vertical stack of bins stored in a grid structure, the storage bins are adapted to be lifted by a lifting frame. Each storage bin in the storage system comprises a set of cavities in its upper edge sections, where the cavities are adapted for accommodating lifting means of the lifting frame.

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the main claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an illustration of a single storage bin according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an illustration showing four storage bins placed next to each making one configuration;

Figure 3 is an illustration showing three storage bins placed next to each making another configuration;

Figure 4 is an illustration two different lifting frames for lifting different storage bin configurations, and

Figure 5 is an illustration showing vertically stacked storage bins to be held in a grid structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures. Specific details are introduced to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the claimed storage bin and storage bin system. A person skilled in the relevant art will however recognize that these embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other components, systems, etc. In other instances, well- known structures or operations are not shown, or are not described in detail, to avoid obscuring aspects of the disclosed embodiments.

Figure 1 is an illustration of a single storage bin 10 according to the invention.

The storage bin 10 is configured to be placed in a vertical stack 100, ref. fig. 5, of several storage bins 10 stored in a grid structure. The storage bins 10 are further configured to be lifted by a lifting frame 70, illustrated in figure 4. The lifting frame 70 is adapted for performing lifting operations and is connected to a vehicle by means of adjustable wires or belts, and the frame 70 is provided with a set of controllable gripping devices 80 to be activated according to the size of one or more bins 10 to be lifted.

Figure 2 and 3 illustrates different embodiments of the invention where several storage bins 10 are grouped together in a set making a storage system. Figure 2 shows an example with four small sized bins 10, while figure 3 shows another example with 3 bins 10.

A storage system according to the invention comprises at least two storage bins 10 configured to be positioned next to each in the same vertical plane. The set of bins 10 can be placed and stored in a vertical stack 100 with other bins 10 in a grid structure. The set of storage bins 10 is adapted to be lifted in one lifting operation by a lifting frame 70. This is enabled since each storage bin 10 comprises a set of cavities 20 in its upper edge sections 30, where the cavities 20 are adapted for accommodating lifting means of the lifting frame 70.

The cavities 20 in a storage bin 10 can be placed such that it can be handled by different types of lifting frames 70, e.g. lifting frames 70 with static gripping devices 80 or dynamic gripping devices 80.

A bin 10 may be constructed in different materials according to intended use and type of items to be stored. It may further have different colours and transparency. Bins 10 may also be isolated for storing products that have to be kept cold.

When a lifting operation is to be performed, a frame 70 will be lowered onto the top of one or more bins 10. This is possible since each bin 10 is provided with said cavities 20 along its upper edge section 30. The cavities 20 are fitted for accommodating and engaging with gripping devices 80 of a lifting frame 70. When a bin 10 is to be lifted, gripping devices 80 will be inserted into cavities and will then, when fully accommodated in the cavities 20, be activated to engage and lock to the cavity 20. The number of cavities 20 may vary and can be adjusted according to the size of a bin 10 and the weight of items to be stored in the bin 10.

In one embodiment, some of the cavities 20 are adapted for receiving gripping devices 80 of said lifting frame 70. These cavities 20 may be placed at regular intervals along the upper edge section 30 of a bin 10. In this way a bin 10 will be flexible with regards to constructional features of lifting means of a lifting frame 70 handling the bin 10. The intervals of placed cavities 20 can be the same for small or big bins 10. Small bins 10 will thus have fewer cavities 20 along the upper edge portion than bigger bins 10.

In one embodiment, the upper edge section 30 and the cavities 20 are reinforced. In this way the storage bin 10 will be more robust when engaged with gripping devices 80 and lifted by a lifting frame 70.

In one embodiment, at least two of the cavities 20 are guide holes 40 arranged in the corner region of its upper edge section 30 and adapted for receiving guide pins 90 of the lifting frame 70. In this way a bin 10 may be slightly adjusted to the positions of gripping devises 80 of a lifting frame 70, by means of guide pins in a lifting frame 70, prior to engagement with the gripping devices 80. A guide hole 40 may be placed in each corner region of the upper edge section 30 of a bin 20, thus making four guide holes 40.

As mentioned, storage bins 10 according to the invention are intended to be placed in vertical stacks 100, shown in Figure 5. These stacks 100 of storage bins 10 are located inside a grid structure making storage cells. Each storage cell can store bins 10 of different shapes, e.g. only one big bin 10, three medium sized bins 10, four smaller bins 10 etc. All configurations of bins 10 may use the total area available in a storage cell.

In one embodiment of the invention, a storage bin 10 comprises connection devices 50 on one or more of its sides for aligning, connecting and keeping bins 10 in a correct relative position to each other. This arrangement will make it easier to achieve proper alignment of several bins 10 prior to being lifted by a lifting frame 70. The connection devices 50 may in one embodiment be magnets. Other known devices for snapping or connecting bins 10 to each other are also feasible.

In addition to grouping bins 10 of different shapes and sizes together making a specific configuration with a set of bins 10 as shown in figures 2 and 3, each bin may comprise one or more compartments 60. In this way different sized items may be stored in different compartments 60 of a bin or a set of bins 10, and all items will be relocated in same lifting operation.

One or more bins 10 may further comprise a lid that is adapted according to a specific configuration of compartments in a bin 10. Different kinds of lids are feasible. It may for instance be one big lid covering a set of different bins 10, or one lid for each bin. A lid may further comprise two or more smaller lids each covering one compartment of a bin 10 with several compartments 60.

Prior to performing a lifting operation, a frame 70 will be lowered onto the top of the four bins 30 such that guide pins 90 of the frame structure 70 will come in contact with the cavities 20 of the bins 30, thus guiding the gripping devices 80 into the cavities of each bin 30. The gripping devices 80 will then be activated when fully accommodated in the cavities of the bins 30. A lifting operation of the set of bins 30 may then begin.

When stacking several sets of bins 10 each comprising different sized bins 10, the set comprising the larges bins 10 should be placed at the lowest position in the stack, and the set of bins comprising smallest sized bins 10 should be placed at the highest position.

A set of bins 10 comprising different sized bins 10 may also be placed in a large bin 10 filling all available area in a storage cell. Gripping devices 80 of a lifting frame 70 will then only have to interact with the one large bin 10. This will be similar to a large bin 10 with different compartments 50, but is more flexible due to easy reconfiguration of compartments 50 by placing and interchanging smaller bins 10 in the large bin 10.

As an alternative to lifting bins by means of a frame, bins 10 can be placed on a tray that is lifted. In this way, different configurations with sets of bins 10 can be placed on top of each other.

In the preceding description, various aspects of the bin assembly according to the invention have been described with reference to the illustrative embodiment. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, systems and configurations were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the bin and its workings. However, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and variations of the illustrative embodiment, as well as other embodiments, which are apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the disclosed subject matter pertains, are deemed to lie within the scope of the present invention.