SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED STORAGE AND RECOVERY OF LOADS

Description

2 However,thedescribedtechnologyinvolvesahighlycomplexconstructionthat demandssignificantmaintenance.Thiscomplexityalsocontributestohighenergy consumptionduringoperation. Thepresentinventionseekstoenhancethroughput,improveenergyefficiency,and5 reducethemanufacturingcomplexityofsystemsforautomatedstorageandretrieval ofloads. SUMMARYOFTHEINVENTION 10 Inafirstaspecttheinventionrelatestoasystemforautomatedstorageandretrieval ofloads,comprisingaloadtransportdevice,theloadtransportdevicecomprisinga framecomprisingasubstantiallyflattopsurfaceconfiguredforsupportingloads;a setofwheels,laterallymountedtotwoopposingsidesoftheframe;alifting mechanismsuitedforliftingandloweringloads;adrivemechanismfordrivingthe15 setofwheels;atleastoneenergystoragesystem,configuredforpoweringatleast thesetofwheelsandtheliftingmechanism;andcharacterizedinthattheload transportdeviceisasatelliteandthesystemfurthercomprisesacarriersuitedto operateincooperatingwiththesatellite,thecarriercomprisingasupportstructure forcarryingthesatellite;atleastoneenergytransferpointconfiguredtotransfer20 electricalenergytothesatellite;acommunicationmodule,configuredtoexchange controlsignalswiththesatelliteand / oracentralcontrolunit;adockingsystem, configuredtolockthesatelliteinplaceonthesupportstructureduringtransportand allowcontrolledreleasewhentransitioningtoanoperationalmode;whereinthe satelliteisconfiguredtobeentirelypositionedunderaload,andwhereinthelifting25 mechanismofthesatellitecomprisesaliftingtableintegratedinthetopsurface,and whereinthesatellitecomprisesacommunicationmodule,configuredtoexchange controlsignalswiththecarrierand / oracentralcontrolunit,andwhereinthepower storageofthesatelliteisconfiguretoreceiveelectricalenergyviatheatleastone energytransferpointofthecarrier.30 Inasecondaspect,theinventionrelatestoamethodforautomatedstorageand retrievalofloadsusingasystemcomprisingacarrierandasatellite,whereinthe carrierisconfiguredtotransportthesatellitealongprimarypathsandcooperate withthesatellite,themethodcomprisingthesteps:transportingthesatellitetoa35 designatedlocationusingthecarrieralongtheprimarypaths;releasingthesatellite fromthecarriertoautonomouslynavigatesecondarypaths;positioningthesatellite entirelybeneathaload;liftingaloadbyoperatingaliftingtablecomprisedwithin BE2024 / 5957 3 thesatellite;andtransportingtheliftedloadalongthesecondarypathswiththe satellite. Thesatellite’sabilitytobetransportedbythecarriersignificantlyextendsitsrange ofapplicability.Insteadofbeingconstrainedtoasingleoperationalarea,thesatellite5 canbedeployedtomultiplelocationsacrossthefacility.Thisallowsthesatelliteto beusedforavarietyoftasks,suchasnavigatingconfinedspaces,handlingloadsin secondarypaths,orengagingwithstorageunitsthatrequirespecializedhandling. Theabilitytotransportthesatellitealsoenablesbetterutilizationofresources,as fewersatellitesmayberequiredtocoverthesamearea,reducingoverallsystem10 complexityandcosts. Byenablingthesatellitetobeentirelypositionedbeneathaload,thesystemensures precisealignmentandstableengagementwithaload.Thisalsoallowsloadstobe liftedjustafewcentimetersoffthegroundfortransport,reducingtherequiredlifting15 height.Theintegratedliftingtablefurtherenhancesenergyefficiencybyapplying theliftingforcedirectlyandevenlybeneaththeload,minimizingtheneedfor additionalcomponentsormechanismstostabilizeorgriptheload.Thisdirectlifting methodreducesenergyconsumptionassociatedwithmorecomplexliftingprocesses thatneedtomovetheloadhorizontallyaswellasvertically.20 DESCRIPTIONOFFIGURES Thefollowingdescriptionofthefiguresofspecificembodimentsoftheinventionis merelyexemplaryinnatureandisnotintendedtolimitthepresentteachings,their25 applicationoruses.Throughoutthedrawings,correspondingreferencenumerals indicatelikeorcorrespondingpartsandfeatures. Fig.1illustratesatopviewofthesatellitedevice,whereinthetopsurfacehasbeen removedtoexposetheinternalcomponentsofthesatellite.30 Fig.2illustratesasidesectionviewofthesatellitewithouttopsurface. Fig.3illustratesatopviewofthesatellitewithtopsurface. 35 Fig.4illustratesasideviewoftwoconnectedsatellites. Fig.5illustratesansideviewofacarrier. BE2024 / 5957 4 DETAILEDDESCRIPTIONOFTHEINVENTION Unlessotherwisedefined,alltermsusedindisclosingtheinvention,including technicalandscientificterms,havethemeaningascommonlyunderstoodbyoneof5 ordinaryskillinthearttowhichthisinventionbelongs.Bymeansoffurtherguidance, termdefinitionsareincludedtobetterappreciatetheteachingofthepresent invention. Referencethroughoutthisspecificationto"oneembodiment"or"anembodiment"10 meansthataparticularfeature,structureorcharacteristicdescribedinconnection withtheembodimentisincludedinatleastoneembodimentofthepresentinvention. Thus,appearancesofthephrases"inoneembodiment"or"inanembodiment"in variousplacesthroughoutthisspecificationarenotnecessarilyallreferringtothe sameembodiment,butmay.Furthermore,theparticularfeatures,structuresor15 characteristicsmaybecombinedinanysuitablemanner,aswouldbeapparenttoa personskilledintheartfromthisdisclosure,inoneormoreembodiments. Furthermore,whilesomeembodimentsdescribedhereinincludesomebutnotother featuresincludedinotherembodiments,combinationsoffeaturesofdifferent embodimentsaremeanttobewithinthescopeoftheinvention,andformdifferent20 embodiments,aswouldbeunderstoodbythoseintheart.Forexample,inthe followingclaims,anyoftheclaimedembodimentscanbeusedinanycombination. Theterm"loadtransportdevice"referstoadevicedesignedforautomated movement,handling,andliftingofloadswithinastorageorretrievalsystem.25 Theterm“satellite”referstoaloadtransportdevicethatisconfiguredtobe transportedbyacarrierandisabletooperateincooperationwiththecarrier. Theterm"carrier"referstoatransportdeviceconfiguredtomoveasatellitealong30 primarypaths. Theterm"energytransferpoint"referstoaconnectioninterface,suchasconductive contactpoints,throughwhichelectricalenergyistransferredfromthecarriertothe satellitewhendocked.35 BE2024 / 5957 5 Theterm"positioningsystem"referstoasystemcomprisingsensorsandencoders, theoutputsofwhichcanbeemployedtodeterminethesatellite'sposition, movement,andorientationrelativetoaloadorsurroundingobjects. Theterm"dockingsystem"referstoamechanismonthecarrierthatsecurelylocks5 thesatelliteinplaceduringtransportandallowscontrolledreleasewhen transitioningtoanoperationalmode. Theterm"primarypaths"referstomainpathswithinthestoragefacilityalongwhich thecarriermoves.10 Theterm"secondarypaths"referstopathswithinthestoragefacilitythatthe satelliteautonomouslynavigatesafterbeingreleasedfromthecarrier. Theterm"docking"referstotheprocessofaligningandsecuringthesatellitetothe15 supportplatformofthecarrier. Inafirstaspecttheinventionpertainstoasystemforautomatedstorageand retrievalofloadsaccordingtoclaim1. 20 Usingasystemcomprisingbothasatelliteandacarrieroffersseveraladvantages bycombiningthestrengthsofeachdeviceinacoordinatedmanner.Thisapproach providesincreasedflexibility,efficiency,andadaptabilityinautomatedstorageand retrievaloperations. 25 Thesatellite’sabilitytobetransportedbythecarriersignificantlyextendsitsrange ofapplicability.Insteadofbeingconstrainedtoasingleoperationalarea,thesatellite canbedeployedtomultiplelocationsacrossthefacility.Thisallowsthesatelliteto beusedforavarietyoftasks,suchasnavigatingconfinedspaces,handlingloadsin secondarypaths,orengagingwithstorageunitsthatrequirespecializedhandling.30 Theabilitytotransportthesatellitealsoenablesbetterutilizationofresources,as fewersatellitesmayberequiredtocoverthesamearea,reducingoverallsystem complexityandcosts. Thecooperativesystemallowsforsecondarypathstobekeptsimpleandspecifically tailoredtothesatellite’sdesign.Sincethesatellitedoesnotneedtonavigateprimary35 paths,secondarypathscanbeoptimizedforitscompactstructureandprecise movements,enablingefficientoperationinconstrainedenvironmentsornear BE2024 / 5957 6 storageunits.Thistargeteddesignminimizesinfrastructurecosts,reduceswearon thesatellite,andenhancestheprecisionandspeedofloadhandling. Thesystemalsoavoidsredundancyandinefficiencybycombiningspecializeddevices ratherthanrequiringstandalonetransportunitsforeverytask.Thecarrierhandles5 thelong-distancetransportofthesatellite,optimizingenergyuseandreducing operationalstrainonthesatellite’senergystoragesystem.Thisdivisionoftasksalso meansthateachdevicecanbedesignedforitsspecificpurpose,resultinginalighter, moremaneuverablesatelliteforloadhandlingandarobustcarrierforefficientlong- rangetransport.10 Byenablingthesatellitetobeentirelypositionedbeneathaload,thesystemensures precisealignmentandstableengagementwithaload.Thisalsoallowsloadstobe liftedjustafewcentimetersoffthegroundfortransport,reducingtherequiredlifting height.Theintegratedliftingtablefurtherenhancesenergyefficiencybyapplying15 theliftingforcedirectlyandevenlybeneaththeload,minimizingtheneedfor additionalcomponentsormechanismstostabilizeorgriptheload.Thisdirectlifting methodreducesenergyconsumptionassociatedwithmorecomplexliftingprocesses thatneedtomovetheloadhorizontallyaswellasvertically. 20 Additionally,themodularnatureofthesystemenhancesscalability.Carriersand satellitescanbeaddedorreconfiguredasoperationalneedsevolve,ensuringthat thesystemremainsadaptabletofacilityexpansionorchangesinworkflow.This modularityreducestheneedforfrequentsystemoverhaulsandensuresalonger operationallifespanfortheinfrastructure.25 Theenergytransferpointonthecarrierenablesthesatellitetorechargeitsenergy storagesystemduringtransportordocking.Thisensuresthatthesatellitemaintains consistentoperationalcapacitywithoutrequiringfrequentdowntimeforrecharging, leadingtoimprovedsystemuptimeandoperationalthroughput.30 Thecommunicationmodulefacilitatesseamlesscoordinationbetweenthesatellite andthecarrier,allowingforsynchronizedtaskexecution.Thisensuresthatthe carrierandsatelliteoperateinaunifiedmanner,withprecisetimingfordocking, energytransfer,andsatelliterelease.Additionally,theabilitytocommunicatewith35 acentralcontrolunitenhancestheoverallsystem'sadaptabilitytodynamic workflows,suchasadjustingroutesorprioritiesinrealtime. BE2024 / 5957 7 Thedockingsystemensuressecureattachmentofthesatellitetothecarrierduring transport,preventingunintendeddetachmentormisalignment.Thisstabilityis criticalwhennavigatingprimarypaths,particularlyinenvironmentswithpotential externaldisturbancesorunevensurfaces.Thecontrolledreleasefunctionalityofthe dockingsystemensuresthatthesatellitetransitionssmoothlyintoitsoperational5 mode,avoidingdisruptionsintaskexecution. Inanembodiment,theliftingmechanismofthesatellitecomprisesacam-based liftingsystemcomprisingatleastonecamshaftoperativelyconnectedtoafirst motor,andalinkageassemblyfunctionallyconnectingthecamofthecamshaftand10 theliftingtable.Theuseofacam-basedsystemisinherentlyenergyefficient,asthe camshaftconvertsrotationalmotionfromthemotorintoverticalmotionwith minimalenergyloss.Themechanicaldesignofthecamallowsforsmoothand controlledlifting,concentratingforcewhereitismostneededduringtheliftcycle. Thiseliminatestheneedformorecomplexorenergy-intensivesystems,suchas15 hydraulicortelescopicmechanisms,whichtypicallyinvolveadditionalenergy consumptionduetofluidcompressionortheextensionofmultiplecomponents. Thecam-basedliftingsystemisparticularlywell-suitedforthisapplicationbecause theliftingtableonlyneedstoraisetheloadbyafewcentimeterstodisengageit20 fromitsstoragepositionoralignitfortransport.Sincetheloaddoesnotneedtobe elevatedtoasignificantheight,thecamshaft’srotationalmotionprovidesanideal rangeofcontrolledverticaldisplacement,enablingefficientandpreciselifting.This limitedliftingrequirementreducestheoverallworkloadonthemotorand mechanism,furthercontributingtoenergyefficiencyandmechanicalsimplicity.25 Additionally,thecompactandintegratednatureofthecamshaftandlinkage assemblyensuresthattheliftingmechanismfitswithinthesatellite'sdesign, maintainingalowheightandenablingthesatellitetofitunderpalletswithloads. Inanembodiment,thefirstmotorispositionedadjacenttoandalignedparallelwith30 thecamshaft,andwhereinthemotorandthecamshaftarefunctionallyconnected viaaloopedchain,loopedbelt,oragearassembly.Byaligningthemotorand camshaftinthesamehorizontalplane,theliftingmechanismavoidstheneedfor stackedorverticallyoffsetcomponents,whichwouldincreasetheoverallheightof thesatellite.Thislow-profilearrangementisparticularlyadvantageousfor35 applicationswherethesatellitemustoperateinconstrainedspaces,suchasunder storageracksorwithintightsecondarypaths.Thereducedheightenhancesthe satellite'sabilitytoaccessloadsstoredinlow-clearanceareaswhilemaintainingits BE2024 / 5957 8 overallmaneuverability.Additionally,thisdesignstreamlinestheassemblyprocess,lowersmaterialcosts,andreducestheneedforprecisionalignmentacrossmultiple planes,makingthesatellitemorecost-effectiveandefficienttomanufacture. Inanembodiment,thedrivemechanismcomprisesrotationalcouplingsforcoupling5 therotationofthewheelsoneachlateralsideofthesatellite,saidrotational couplingscomprisingachainorbelt.Therotationalcouplingofthewheelsoneach sideofthesatelliteviaachainorbeltallowsallwheelsononesidetobeactuated byasingleaxle.Thiseliminatestheneedformultiplemotorsorindependentdrive mechanisms,reducingthenumberofcomponentswithinthesatellite.Fewer10 componentscontributetoalowerheight,astheaxleandcouplingmechanismcan beefficientlyintegratedintothehorizontalplaneoftheframe,makingthesatellite compactandsuitableforpositioningitselfentirelybeneathloads.Thissimplification streamlinestheassemblyprocess,lowersmaterialcosts,andreducestheneedfor precisionalignmentacrossmultipleplanes,makingthesatellitemorecost-effective15 andefficienttomanufacture. Inanembodiment,therotationalcouplingsarefunctionallyconnectedbyanaxle, theaxlebeingdrivenbyasecondmotorpositionedadjacenttoandalignedparallel withtheaxle.Thisorientationofthesecondmotorandtheaxle,allowsthemtobe20 positionedinthesameplane.Thiskeepsthesatellite’sheightlow,andthereby contributestothesatellitesabilitytopositionitselfentirelybeneathloads. Additionally,thisdesignstreamlinestheassemblyprocessbysimplifyingthe rotationaltransmission,therebyloweringcosts,andreducingtheneedforprecision alignmentacrossmultipleplanes,makingthesatellitemorecost-effectiveand25 efficienttomanufacture. Inanembodiment,thedrivemechanism,liftingmechanismandenergystorage systemofthesatellitearepositionedsubstantiallyinthesameplane.Thisdesign resultsinalowheight,enablingthesatellitetopositionitselfbeneathaload.30 Additionally,thisdesignstreamlinestheassemblyprocess,lowersmaterialcosts, andreducestheneedforprecisionalignmentacrossmultipleplanes,makingthe satellitemorecost-effectiveandefficienttomanufacture. Inanembodiment,theenergytransferpointofthecarriercomprisesconductive35 contactpointsconfiguredtoalignwithcorrespondingcontactsonthesatellitefor energytransferwhendocked.Thisconfigurationprovidesareliableandefficient energytransfermechanismwithoutrequiringcomplexconnectorsorcables.By BE2024 / 5957 9 aligningthecontactpointsduringdocking,thesystemensuresconsistentenergy flowtothesatellite’senergystoragesystem,minimizingenergylossanddowntime. Additionally,thesimplicityofconductivecontactpointsreduceswearand maintenancerequirements,enhancingthedurabilityandreliabilityofthesystem. Thisarrangementalsoallowsforseamlessdockingandundockingoperations,5 contributingtotheoverallefficiencyoftheautomatedstorageandretrievalprocess. Inanembodiment,thesatellitefurthercomprisesapositioningsystemincluding encodersandsensors,ofwhichtheoutputsaresuitedfordeterminingthesatellite’s orientationandposition.Inthisembodiment,thesatelliteincludesapositioning10 systemcomprisingencodersandsensors,withoutputsconfiguredtodeterminethe satellite'sorientationandposition.Theinclusionofthissystemenablesprecise navigationandalignmentwithinthestoragefacility,ensuringaccurateinteraction withloads,dockingstructures,andsecondarypaths.Theencodersprovidedetailed dataonthesatellite'smovement,suchaswheelrotationsorlineardisplacement,15 whilethesensorsdetectexternalreferences,suchasproximitytoobstaclesor alignmentwithdockingpoints.Thiscombinationallowsforseamlesscoordinationof thesatellite'soperations,improvingaccuracyandreducingerrorsduringload handlingandtransport.Byintegratingbothinternalandexternaldatasources,the positioningsystemenhancesthesatellite'sreliabilityandefficiencyindynamic,high-20 precisionenvironments. Inanembodiment,encodersareintegratedintothewheelsoraxlesofthesatellite, providingprecisedataonmovementandrotation.Thisallowsthesatelliteto calculatedistancetraveledandalignaccuratelywithsecondarypaths,loads,or25 dockingstructures. Inanembodiment,proximitysensorsaremountedonthesidesorcornersofthe satellitetodetectobstaclesormeasuredistancetosurroundingobjects.These sensorsensuresafenavigationandpreventcollisionsduringoperationinconfined30 spaces. Inanembodiment,opticalsensorsarepositionedontheundersideofthesatelliteto readfloormarkingsorguidetracks.Thesesensorsenablethesatellitetofollow predefinedpathswithhighprecision,improvingreliabilityinnavigation.35 BE2024 / 5957 10 Inanembodiment,alaserdistancesensorisinstalledonthesatellitetodetectthe distancetoaloadordockingstation.Thisfacilitatesfine-tunedalignmentforload handlingandsecuredockingoperations. Inanembodiment,aninertialmeasurementunit(IMU)comprisingaccelerometers5 andgyroscopesisintegratedintothesatellite’sframe.Thiscomponentmonitors orientationandangularvelocity,allowingthesatellitetoadjustforunevensurfaces orabruptmovementsduringoperation. Inanembodiment,thesatelliteisconfiguredtoautonomouslynavigatesecondary10 pathswithinthestoragefacilityafterbeingreleasedfromthecarrier.Bynavigating secondarypathsautonomously,thesatelliteeliminatestheneedfordirectcontrolor externalguidancesystems,relyinginsteadonitsintegratedpositioningsystemto determineitspathandensureaccuratealignmentwithloadsordockingstations. Thisautonomyenhancestheefficiencyandflexibilityofthestorageandretrieval15 process,allowingthesatellitetoperformtaskswithminimalhumanintervention. Inafurtherembodiment,thewheelsonbothsidesofthesatelliteareconfiguredto engagewithguiderailsortracks.Inafurtherembodiment,thewheelsonbothsides ofthesatelliteareconfiguredtoengagewithguiderailsortracks,ensuringprecise20 movementandreducingthecomplexityofthedrivingsystem.Thissimplifies steering,lowersenergyconsumption,andminimizesenergylossesfromcorrecting misalignments.Theefficientwheel-to-trackinteractionfurtherenhancesenergy efficiency,conservingpowerandextendingoperationaltime. 25 Inanembodiment,thedrivemechanismcomprisesatleastoneendlessreinforced transmissionbelt,saidtransmissionbeltbeingfabricatedasacontinuousloop withoutvisibleseamsorjoins.Thisdesigneliminatesweakpoints,improvingthe belt'sdurabilityandreducingtheriskoffailureduringprolongedoperation.The smooth,uninterruptedsurfaceminimizesvibrationandenergylosses,ensuring30 efficientpowertransmissionfromthedrivemotortothewheels.Additionally,the robustconstructionreducesmaintenanceneedsandenhancesreliability,whichis criticalforthesatellite'scontinuousoperationinautomatedstorageandretrieval systems. 35 Inanembodiment,thesystemsupportssatellitecoupling,enablingmultiple satellitestoworkintandemtoshareoneormoreloads.Thisscalabilityimproves efficiencyinlargestoragefacilities,optimizingthroughputandresourceutilization. BE2024 / 5957 11 Connectingtwosatellitesallowsforcoordinatedoperationoftheirliftingmechanisms anddrivesystems,enablingthelargersatellitetoliftandtransportoversizedor heavierloadsthatcannotbehandledbyasinglesatellitealone. Inanembodiment,thecarriercomprisesoneormoreconveyers.Inanembodiment,5 thecarriercomprisesoneormoreconveyors,enablingittotransportbothloads andsatellitescarryingloads.Thisdualfunctionalityincreasesflexibility,allowingthe carriertohandleloadsdirectlyorassistintransferringsatelliteswithloadsbetween primaryandsecondarypaths.Thisreducestheneedforadditionaltransfer mechanisms,streamlinesoperations,andmaximizescarrierutilization,lowering10 overallsystemcomplexityandcost. Inasecondaspecttheinventionpertainstoamethodforautomatedstorageand retrievalofloadsaccordingtoclaim12. 15 Themethodprovidestheadvantageoftaskspecialization,withthecarrier transportingthesatellitealongprimarypathswhilethesatelliteautonomously handlessecondarypathsandloadoperations.Thisdivisionincreasesefficiencyby optimizingeachcomponentforitsintendedfunctionandallowsparalleloperations,improvingoverallthroughputindynamicstorageenvironments.Themethod20 improvesresourceutilization,ascarriersandsatellitescanworkinparallel,enabling onecarriertoservicemultiplesatellitesormultiplecarrierstodistributetasksacross alargestoragefacility.Thiscoordinationreducesidletimeandmaximizes throughput,makingthesystembothcost-effectiveandadaptabletodynamic operationaldemands.25 Inanembodiment,thesatellitecomprisesaframeandasetofwheels,andthe liftingstepfurthercomprisesliftingtheentireframerelativetothesetofwheelsby exertingaforceonthesetofwheels.Byleveragingthewheelsasthereactionpoint, thedesignreducestheneedforadditionalstructuralelementstosupportthelifting30 mechanism,simplifyingthesatellite’sconstruction.Thisapproachalsominimizesthe energyrequiredforlifting,asthesystemusesthewheels'fixedpositionagainstthe groundtoprovideastablebase,optimizingtheforcetransferdirectlytotheframe andtheload.Moreover,thismethodallowsforcompactintegrationofthelifting mechanismwithinthesatellite,contributingtoalow-heightdesign.Thislowheight35 enhancesthesatellite’sabilitytopositionitselfentirelybeneathloads BE2024 / 5957 12 Inanembodiment,themethodfurthercomprisingthestepsoftransportingthelifted loadtothecarrieralongthesecondarypaths;dockingthesatellitewiththecarrier whilecarryingtheload;andtransportingthesatelliteandtheloadbetweensections ofthesecondarypathsalongtheprimarypathsusingthecarrier.Thismethod providestheadvantagethatthecarrierdoesnotrequireanyload-securing5 mechanisms,astheloadremainssecuredonthesatelliteduringtransport.This simplifiesthedesignofthecarrierandconsequentlyreducesitsconstruction complexityandmanufacturingcosts.Additionally,theabsenceofload-securing mechanismsallowsthecarriertoaccommodatedifferentsatellitetypesortasks, increasingitsversatility.Themethodalsoenablesfasterdockingandundocking,as10 theloadisalreadysecuredonthesatellite,reducingoperationaldelaysand improvingoverallthroughput.Furthermore,securingtheloaddirectlyonthesatellite minimizestheriskofloaddisplacementduringtransitionsbetweensecondaryand primarypaths,ensuringstableandreliablehandlingthroughouttheprocess. 15 Theinventionisfurtherdescribedbythefollowingnon-limitingexampleswhich furtherillustratetheinvention,andarenotintendedto,norshouldtheybe interpretedto,limitthescopeoftheinvention. EXAMPLESand / orDESCRIPTIONOFFIGURES20 Fig.1providesatopviewofthesatellitedevice,whereinthetopsurfacehasbeen removedtoexposetheinternalcomponentsofthesatellite. Thesatellitecompriseswheels(1),whicharelaterallymountedontwoopposing sidesoftheframe16.Thesewheels(1)areconfiguredtoengagewithtracks(15)25 toguidethesatellitealongsecondarypathswithinthestoragefacility.Toensure lateralstabilityduringmovement,stabilizingwheels(14)arepositionedtointeract withtheverticalportionsofthetracks(15),maintainingalignmentandreducing unwantedlateraldeviation. 30 Therotationalmovementofthewheels(1)oneachsideissynchronizedthrougha beltandgearsystem(2).Asecondmotor(3)ispositionedononesideofthe satellite,adjacenttoandalignedparallelwithanaxle(4)thatconnectstherotational couplingsofthewheelsonbothside.Thesecondmotor(3)transmitstorquetothe axle(4)viaabelt(5),drivingthewheels(1)inasynchronizedmanner.Onthe35 oppositesideofthesatellite,afirstmotor(6)isarrangedadjacentandparalleltoa correspondingcamshaft(7)thatisorientatedperpendiculartothelateralsidesof BE2024 / 5957 13 thesatellite.Thefirstmotor(6)iscoupledtothecamshaft(7)viaagearassembly (9),enablingrotationofthecamshaft. Thecamshaft(7)comprisescams(8)atbothends,eachfunctionallyconnectedto atransmissionelement(11).Anadditionalsetofcams,alsoconnectedto5 correspondingtransmissionelements(11),ispositionedlaterallyontheopposite sideofthesatellite,asmoreclearlyshowninFig.2.Therotationofthecamson eachlateralsideofthesatelliteissynchronizedviaaliftmechanismbelt(10). Alternatively,thissynchronizationmayalsoberealizedbymeansofaliftmechanism chain.Thefourtransmissionelements(11)areconnectedtoeithertheentireframe10 (16)oraliftingtableintegratedintoasectionofthesatellite’stopsurface.Thecam- basedliftingmechanismistherebyconfiguredtogenerateverticalmovementofthe entireframe(16)orasectionofthetopsurfaceofthesatelliteforliftingorlowering aload.Thecamshaft(7)andtheaxle(4)arepositionedonopposingsidesofthe satellite,ensuringbalancedweightdistributionandcompactarrangementofthe15 internalcomponents. Centrallylocatedbetweenthefirstmotor(6)andthesecondmotor(3),theenergy storagesystem(12)ishousedwithinthesatelliteframe.Theenergystoragesystem (12),whichmayincludesupercapacitorsorbatteries,isconfiguredtosupplypower20 tothesecondmotor(3)fordrivingthewheelsandtothefirstmotor(6)foroperating theliftingmechanism.Thiscentralpositioningoftheenergystoragesystem(12) optimizesspaceutilizationandcontributestoabalancedweightdistribution, ensuringstabilityduringoperation. 25 Anencoder(13)isfunctionallyconnectedtothewheels(1)ortherotationalcoupling ofthewheels,enablingprecisemonitoringofthesatellite'smovementandposition asitnavigatesthesecondarypaths.Theencoder(13),incombinationwithasensor (17),formspartofapositioningsystemconfiguredtodeterminethesatellite’s orientationandalignmentwithaloadordockingstructure.Thesensor(17)may30 includeaproximitysensor,aopticalsensor,oralasersensorfordetectingthe satellite’sdistancetoobjects. Thesatellite'sstructuralcomponents,includingtheframeandliftingtable,maybe formedfromlightweightmaterials,suchashigh-strengthaluminumalloysor35 reinforcedcomposites,toreducethesatellite’soverallweightwhilemaintaining structuralintegrity.Additionally,thetransmissionelements(11)andbelts(10)may BE2024 / 5957 14 beconstructedfromdurablematerials,suchasreinforcedpolymersorsteel- reinforcedrubber,toensurelongevityunderoperationalstress. Fig.3showsatopviewofthesatellite.Thetopsurface(18)issubstantiallyflat,and comprisesaliftingtable(19).Theliftingtablehasarectangularshapeandis5 centrallypositionedwithinthetopsurface(18)ofthesatellite.Alternatively,the liftingtablemaycoverthewholetopsurface(18).Sensors(17)ofthepositioning systemaremountedtobothsidesofthesatellitethatfaceinapotentialdirectionof movement. 10 Fig.4showsasideviewoftwoconnectedsatellites.Aconnectingelement(20) enablesafirst(21)andasecond(22)satellitetobecoupledtoeachothertoform asinglelargersatellite,whichcanoperateintandem. Theconnectingelement(20)maycompriseapairofguiderailsandcorresponding15 lockingpins,whereintheguiderailsonthefirstsatellite(21)alignwithslotsonthe secondsatellite(22),andthelockingpinsengagetoholdthesatellitestogether. Alternatively,theconnectingelement(20)mayincludeamagneticcouplingsystem, whereinmagnetsembeddedintheframesofthefirst(21)andsecond(22)satellites20 createasecureconnectionwhileallowingforquickreleasewhenrequired. Alternatively,anactuatedlockingmechanism,suchaselectricallyorpneumatically drivenclamps,maybeusedtoenableremotecouplinganddecouplingofthe satellites. 25 Theconnectingelement(20)mayincorporatecommunicationlinesorpower-sharing connections,allowingthetwosatellitestosynchronizetheiroperationsandshare electricalenergyfromtheirrespectiveenergystoragesystems. Fig.5showsanembodimentofacarrierdesignedtotransportandcooperatewitha30 satelliteaspartofanautomatedstorageandretrievalsystem.Theframe(31)forms themainstructuralsupportofthecarrier,providingrigidityandstability.Theframe (31)supportsthecomponentsofthecarrier,andsafelyencagesloadscarriedbythe carrier. 35 Thecarrierismountedonrails(32),whichserveasprimarypathswithinthestorage facility,enablingthecarriertomovehorizontallybetweendifferentlocations.The BE2024 / 5957 15 movementofthecarrierisfacilitatedbywheels(33),whichareconfiguredtoengage withandrollalongtherails(32)toensurestableandguidedmovement. Thecarrierfurtherincludesapowerdivider(35),whichdistributeselectricalenergy tovariouscomponentsofthesystem.Thepowerdivider(35)maybeconfiguredto5 transferenergytothesatelliteviaconductivecontactpointsorotherenergytransfer mechanismswhenthesatelliteisdockedonthesupportplatform(34). Aconveyorbeltorchain(36)isprovidedaspartofthecarrier,positionedabovethe supportplatform(34).Theconveyorbeltorchain(36)isconfiguredtoloadand10 unloadloadsortofacilitatethedockingandundockingoflargersatellites.The conveyorbeltorchain(36)mayincludeamotorizeddrivesystem(notvisible)for movingloadsalongitssurface,therebyautomatingthehandlingprocess. Thepresentinventionisinnowaylimitedtotheembodimentsdescribedinthe15 examplesand / orshowninth,