Storage and retrieval system comprising a grid framework structure and a plurality of storage containers - Patents.com

Abstract

A storage and retrieval system is provided. The storage and retrieval system comprises a grid framework structure (714) comprising a track system (320) forming a grid pattern comprising a plurality of grid spaces (310), at least one load handling device (30) movable on the track system (320), and a plurality of storage columns disposed adjacent to one another. A plurality of stacks of storage containers (200, 500) are disposed within each of the plurality of storage columns and positioned below the track system (320). The load handling device (30) comprises a lifting device disposed to lift one or more storage containers from the stack. Each of the storage containers comprises a base wall to form a box-like structure having an opening, opposing side walls and end walls extending from the base wall, and a lid closing the opening of the one or more storage containers to define a cooling tote (200). At least one of the base wall, and / or opposing side walls and / or opposing end walls and / or lid of the cooling tote includes a pocket for containing a refrigerant having a freezing point within the range of -30°C to 0°C for storing frozen or chilled foods.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automated storage and retrieval systems, more particularly to storage containers for automated storage and retrieval systems, comprising a robotic load handling device for handling storage containers stacked in the automated storage and retrieval system. [Background technology]

[0002] Storage and retrieval systems are well known that comprise a three-dimensional storage grid structure in which storage containers / bins are stacked on top of each other. PCT Publication WO 2015 / 185628A (Ocado) describes a known storage and order fulfillment system in which a stack of bins or containers is arranged within a grid framework structure. The bins or containers are accessed by a robotically controlled load handling device operable on a track positioned on top of the grid framework structure. This type of system is shown diagrammatically in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

[0003] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, stackable containers known as bins 10 are stacked on top of each other to form a stack 12. For the sake of definition, the terms "bin", "tote", "container" and "storage container" are used interchangeably in this description to mean the same feature. The stack 12 is arranged within a grid framework structure 14 in a warehouse or manufacturing environment. The grid framework structure is composed of a number of storage or grid columns. Each grid cell within the grid framework structure has at least one grid column for storage of a stack of containers. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the grid framework structure 14, and Figure 2 is an overhead view showing a stack 12 of bins 10 arranged within the framework structure 14. Each bin 10 typically holds a number of product items (not shown), which may be of the same or different product types, depending on the application.

[0004] The grid framework structure 14 comprises a plurality of upright members 16 supporting horizontal members 18, 20. A first set of parallel horizontal members 18 are arranged perpendicular to a second set of parallel horizontal members 20 to form a plurality of horizontal grid cells supported by the upright members 16. The members 16, 18, 20 are typically fabricated from metal. The bins 10 are stacked between the members 16, 18, 20 of the grid framework structure 14 such that the grid framework structure 14 protects the stack 12 of bins 10 from horizontal movement and guides the vertical movement of the bins 10.

[0005] The upper level of the grid framework structure 14 includes rails 22 arranged in a grid pattern across the top of the stacks 12. With further reference to FIG. 3 , the rails 22 support a plurality of load handling devices 30. A first set 22a of parallel rails 22 guides movement of the robotic load handling devices 30 in a first direction (e.g., X direction) across the top of the grid framework structure 14, and a second set 22b of parallel rails 22 arranged perpendicular to the first set 22a guides movement of the load handling devices 30 in a second direction (e.g., Y direction) that is perpendicular to the first direction. In this manner, the rails 22 allow movement of the robotic load handling devices 30 laterally in two dimensions in the horizontal XY plane such that the load handling devices 30 may be moved into position above any of the stacks 12.

[0006] A known load handling device 30, shown in FIG. 4, comprises a vehicle body 32, which is described in PCT Patent Publication WO 2015 / 019055 (Ocado), which is incorporated herein by reference. Here, the load handling device 30 comprises a wheel assembly comprising a first set of wheels 34 consisting of a pair of wheels at the front of the vehicle 32 and a pair of wheels 34 at the rear of the vehicle 32 for engaging a first set of rails or tracks to guide the movement of the device in a first direction, and a second set of wheels 36 consisting of a pair of wheels 36 on each side of the vehicle 32 for engaging a second set of rails or tracks to guide the movement of the device in a second direction. The vehicle body of the load handling device comprises an upper portion and a lower portion. The wheels are arranged around the periphery of a cavity or recess known as a container receiving recess 40 in the lower portion of the vehicle body. The container receiving recess is sized to accommodate the container 10 when it is lifted by a crane mechanism as shown in FIG. 5(a and b). The crane mechanism or container lifting mechanism comprises a lifting drive assembly or winch assembly comprising a winch or crane mechanism for lifting storage containers or bins, also known as totes, from above, and a container gripping assembly or grabber device 39. The lifting mechanism is located within the upper portion of the vehicle body. The grabber device is formed as a frame with four corner sections. The winch crane assembly comprises a lifting tether 38 that is wound onto a spool or reel (not shown). Typically, the winch assembly comprises four spools, each of the four spools carrying a lifting tether having one end fixed to the spool and the other end fixed to a corner of the grabber device.

[0007] The container gripping assembly 39 is configured to grip the top of the container 10 to lift it from a stack of containers in a storage system of the type taught in PCT Patent Publication WO 2015 / 019055 (Ocado). The winch assembly is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown), commonly known as a Z motor because it is configured to raise and lower the container gripping assembly in the Z direction when lifting and lowering a storage container. During operation of the drive mechanism when lowering the container gripping assembly, the lifting tether is unwound from the spool. When the storage container is lifted off the rail and below and into the container receiving space of the load handling device, the vehicle or load handling device can move laterally to a different location. When the target location is reached, for example another stack, an access point in the storage system or conveyor belt, the bin or container can be lowered from the container receiving portion and released from the grabber device.

[0008] Upon receiving a customer order, a robotic load handling device operable to move on a track is instructed to pick up a storage bin containing the ordered items from a stack in the grid framework structure and transport the storage bin to a pick station, where the items can then be retrieved from the storage bin. Typically, the load handling device transports the storage bin or storage container to a bin lifting device integrated into the grid framework structure. A mechanism of the bin lifting device lowers the storage bin or storage container to the pick station. At the pick station, the items are retrieved from the storage bin. Picking can be done manually by hand or by a robot as taught in GB 2524383 (Ocado Innovation Limited). After retrieval from the storage bin, the storage bin is transported to a second bin lifting device, which then lifts the storage bin to the grid level for retrieval by the load handling device and transports it back to its location in the grid framework structure. A control system and a communication system track the location of the storage bins and their contents in the grid framework structure. Because the individual containers are stacked in vertical layers, their locations within the grid framework structure, or "hive," may be displayed using three-dimensional coordinates to represent the location of the load handling device or container and the depth of the container (e.g., (X,Y,Z), a container at depth W). Similarly, locations within the grid framework structure may be displayed in two dimensions to represent the location of the load handling device or container and the depth of the container (e.g., container depth (e.g., (X,Y), a container at depth Z). For example, Z=1 identifies the top layer of the grid, i.e., the layer immediately below the rail system, Z=2 is the second layer below the rail system, and so on down to the lowest, bottom layer of the grid.

[0009] A variety of items may be stored and retrieved within the storage and retrieval system according to the invention. However, if the items are grocery items of a perishable nature, provisions need to be made within the storage and retrieval system to store the perishable grocery items. WO 2021 / 209648 (Ocado Innovation Limited) teaches a multi-temperature storage system comprising a plurality of upright members, a plurality of horizontal members supported by the upright members and forming a grid pattern defining a plurality of grid cells, allowing containers to be placed in a stack below the grid cells defined by the grid pattern, and a track structure on top of the horizontal members. The track structure is configured to allow a load handling device to move across the storage structure to retrieve the containers from the stack. The multi-temperature storage system comprises temperature control means configured to maintain a first temperature zone within the storage structure at a first temperature and a second temperature zone within the storage structure at a second temperature. The temperature control means includes a temperature control plant and tubing providing a closed loop configured for temperature control fluid to flow along it from the temperature control plant to a first temperature zone within the storage structure and from the first temperature zone within the storage structure to the temperature control plant. The temperature control means is described as a refrigeration plant that chills air to a specified temperature and directs the chilled air along ducts to one or more locations within the grid framework structure.

[0010] An advantage of the storage and retrieval system taught in WO 2015 / 185628 A (Ocado) over other storage systems known in the prior art is that the items in storage can be tightly packed, and a robotic load handling device operable on a grid framework structure can at least automate the retrieval of items from storage in the grid framework structure for the fulfillment of customer orders. However, a problem with the provision of temperature control means to direct chilled air to designated areas of the grid framework structure is not only the cost of cooling a particular area of ​​the grid framework structure, but also that the designated area needs to be sufficiently insulated to prevent the ingress of warm air from warm areas of the grid framework structure, such as the surrounding areas. Because low temperatures impact the storage capacity of the rechargeable power source, typically a battery, that powers the robotic load handling device on the grid framework structure, multi-temperature storage and retrieval systems known in the art are very limited to storing chilled goods within a temperature range of 1°C to 4°C. Temperatures in the frozen area below this range, typically in the region of -25°C to -18°C, seriously impact the storage capacity of the battery such that the battery cannot hold a charge for a sufficient period of time to have any useful purpose on the grid framework structure. As a result, frozen goods, such as ice cream, frozen meat, and the like, are typically stored in areas separate from the grid framework structure within a typical distribution center or customer order fulfillment center, and picking of frozen goods to fulfill customer orders is highly limited to manual operations, making it impossible to automate order fulfillment of frozen items.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need for a multi-temperature storage and retrieval system capable of storing items at a variety of storage temperatures covering controlled ambient, chilled and frozen temperatures to take advantage of the high storage capacity of the grid framework structure and the automation of retrieval of items from storage without suffering from the problems discussed above. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The present invention has alleviated the above problems by providing a passive cooling system comprising one or more cooler packs within one or more walls of an insulated storage container for storage within a grid framework structure. The use of one or more cooler packs allows temperature sensitive products to be stored within the insulated storage container at a predetermined temperature range. The cooler pack comprises a refrigerant capable of being frozen to a predetermined temperature depending on the freezing point of the refrigerant. One example of a refrigerant that provides a cooling effect is a eutectic mixture of a solvent and one or more rock salts, which undergoes a phase change at a certain freezing point (or melting point) below the freezing point of the solvent. For example, the eutectic mixture may comprise glycol and / or may comprise salt water. Salt water is particularly advantageous for use in cooling food products because it is food safe. A commonly used cooler pack comprises an aqueous solution of rock salt. The type of rock salt used in the aqueous solution affects the freezing or melting point of the eutectic mixture and therefore the temperature range at which items may be stored within the insulated storage container. When incorporated within a storage container, heat from the storage container is absorbed by the refrigerant, causing a phase change in the refrigerant as it melts. This change in state occurs without a change in temperature, thus reducing the rate of change of temperature within the insulated storage container. The refrigerant is typically chilled in a refrigerator or freezer until the phase change material freezes, and for some rock salt, the freezing point can be as low as -30°C when the refrigerant is a eutectic mixture. The cooling capacity of the refrigerant depends on the quality and quantity of the refrigerant within the insulated storage container. The quality of the refrigerant is judged by the stability of its temperature plateau. As the refrigerant thaws, it absorbs heat at a nearly constant temperature, i.e., the temperature curve during the thawing phase is generally flat and continuous. The amount of refrigerant within the insulated storage container controls the amount of heat that can be extracted from the insulated storage container.

[0013] Providing a passive cooling system within a storage container allows items to be stored over a wide range of temperatures not easily achievable with active cooling systems. Accordingly, the present invention provides a storage and retrieval system comprising: a grid framework structure comprising a track system and a plurality of storage columns disposed adjacent to one another, the track system comprising a first set of parallel rails or tracks and a second set of parallel rails or tracks extending transversely to the first set in a substantially horizontal plane to form a grid pattern comprising a plurality of grid spaces; a plurality of storage containers disposed in stacks within each of a plurality of storage columns and positioned below the track system, each of the plurality of storage containers including a base wall and opposing side and end walls extending from the base wall to form a box-like structure having an opening; at least one load handling device disposed on the track system and arranged to move laterally above the stack on rails, the load handling device comprising a lifting device arranged to lift one or more containers or portions thereof from the stack, the lifting device comprising a container gripping assembly configured to releasably grip a storage container, and a lifting drive assembly configured to raise and lower the container gripping assembly; Equipped with one or more of the plurality of storage containers includes a lid that closes an opening of the one or more storage containers to define a cooling tote; at least one of the base wall, and / or the opposing side wall, and / or the opposing end wall, and / or the lid of the cooling tote includes a pocket or cavity for containing a refrigerant; A storage and retrieval system is provided in which the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -30°C to 0°C for storing frozen or chilled foods.

[0014] The refrigerant may be integrated into one or more walls of the storage container such that one or more walls or lids of the storage container can function as an integrated cooler pack. The base wall, opposing side walls and opposing end walls form a box-like structure or enclosure within the interior storage space for storing goods or items within the grid framework structure. Optionally, the refrigerant is contained within the lid of one or more of the cooling totes. An advantage of incorporating the refrigerant within the lid is that the lid can be replaced from one or more of the cooling totes when the refrigerant within the lid is no longer able to maintain the temperature within the cooling tote within a predetermined temperature range. For purposes of the definition of the present invention, the term "charge" is used to describe the condition when the refrigerant remains in a frozen state for a predetermined length of time. Thus, when the refrigerant runs out of charge, this means that the refrigerant is no longer able to maintain the temperature within the cooling tote within a predetermined temperature range. Because the dimensions and shapes of the storage containers are substantially uniform such that multiple storage containers can be stacked within the grid framework structure, one or more lids of the cooling totes are easily replaceable. Compared to integrating the refrigerant into one or more of the bottom and / or side walls of the cooling tote, the lid is a less bulky component than the rest of the cooling tote, allowing multiple lids to be placed in a refrigerator compartment or a refrigeration system with a refrigerator compartment for charging without taking up a lot of space. The lid with the refrigerant may be referred to as a "refrigerant plate." The refrigerant may have a freezing point within the range of -30°C to -15°C, such that the refrigerant plate is defined as a freezer plate. The refrigerant may alternatively have a freezing point within the range of -5°C to -0°C, such that the refrigerant plate is defined as a chilled plate.

[0015] Instead of the lid comprising the refrigerant, the refrigerant may be included within the plate to define the refrigerant plate such that the refrigerant plate is defined as a freezer plate when the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -30°C to -15°C and the refrigerant plate is defined as a chilled plate when the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -5°C to 0°C. Including the refrigerant within the plate allows the refrigerant plate to be removably receivable within at least one pocket of the base wall and / or opposing side wall and / or opposing end wall of the cooling tote and / or the lid. Including the refrigerant within the refrigerant plate, instead of integrating the refrigerant within one or more walls of the storage container, allows for the refrigerant within the plate to be replaced by a fully frozen or charged refrigerant when the refrigerant within the plate thaws completely or nearly completely and is no longer able to effectively cool the contents of the storage container. There are various types of refrigerant plates, and each type of refrigerant plate depends on the type of refrigerant contained within the plate. For storing and cooling frozen goods, the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -30°C to -15°C (e.g., the freezing point may be -25°C, -20°C) and is defined as a freezer plate for the purpose of definition. For storing and cooling chilled goods, the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -5°C to 0°C (e.g., the freezing point may be -4°C, -3°C, -2°C, or -1°C) and is defined as a chilled plate for the purpose of definition.

[0016] To maintain the temperature in the chilled zone, the refrigerant ranges from 2°C to 8°C, and to maintain the temperature in the frozen or freezer zone, the refrigerant ranges from -30°C to -15°C. To store items in the chilled temperature range, the refrigerant preferably has a freezing point in the temperature range of -5°C to 0°C, and to store items in the frozen temperature range, the refrigerant preferably has a freezing point in the temperature range of -30°C to -15°C. When the refrigerant has a freezing point in the temperature range of -30°C to -15°C, the refrigerant can be a eutectic mixture. The advantage of using a eutectic mixture is that its freezing point can be adjusted depending on the storage requirements of the item in question. When the composition of the refrigerant is adjusted to provide cooling for storing items in the frozen temperature range, the cooling tote can be defined as a freezer tote. Thus, when the composition of the eutectic mixture is adjusted to provide cooling for storing items in the chilled temperature range, the cooling tote can be defined as a chilled tote.

[0017] To allow the cooling totes of the present invention to be stacked within a framework structure in an ambient temperature environment, optionally at least a portion of at least one base wall, opposing side wall, and / or opposing end wall, and / or lid of the one or more cooling totes are thermally insulating. Optionally, at least a portion of at least one base wall, opposing side wall, and / or end wall, and / or lid of the one or more cooling totes comprises thermally insulating foam to reduce or prevent heat from the ambient environment outside the one or more cooling totes from being transferred through the at least one base wall, opposing side wall, and / or lid of the one or more cooling totes and warming the interior storage space of the one or more cooling totes. Transfer of heat through the walls of the cooling tote not only heats the interior storage space of the cooling tote, but also accelerates the thawing of the refrigerant in the one or more walls of the cooling tote from its charged state, reducing the ability of the refrigerant to cool the interior storage space of the cooling tote. This reduces the effectiveness of the cooling tote to store and cool items at temperatures below ambient temperature. If the item is a perishable grocery item, increasing the temperature above the required storage temperature of the perishable item for a predetermined length of time may spoil the perishable item to the extent that it may be classified as unsafe for consumption, in a worst case scenario resulting in the growth of harmful bacteria within the perishable item. The insulating foam also prevents cooled air from exiting the interior storage space of the cooling tote. Optionally, the insulating foam comprises polyurethane foam and / or polystyrene foam.

[0018] Optionally, at least one of the base wall, opposing side and end walls, and / or lid of the one or more cooling totes comprises a vacuum insulated core. Another means for preventing the transfer of heat from the surrounding environment into the interior storage space of the cooling tote is to provide a vacuum insulated core in at least one of the base wall, opposing side and end walls, and / or lid of the one or more cooling totes to prevent conductive and convective heat transfer through the walls of the cooling tote. Optionally, the vacuum insulated core may form a portion of a vacuum insulated panel.

[0019] An advantage of storing items within a grid framework structure is the ability to provide a tightly packed storage system since storage containers can be tightly packed together in multiple stacks of storage containers. A stack of storage containers can be 21 storage containers high, and each storage container in the stack can weigh 35 kg, which places a large weight on the storage containers lower in the stack. Forming the base wall, opposing side walls and end walls of the cooling tote from an insulating material such as insulating foam suffers from the problem of not having sufficient structural rigidity to support the weight of multiple storage containers above in the stack. To prevent the walls of the cooling tote from collapsing under the weight of the storage containers or cooling totes above in the stack, optionally the base wall of the box-like structure of each of the one or more cooling totes, as well as the opposing side walls and opposing end walls extending from the base wall, form an inner shell, and each of the one or more cooling totes further comprises a rigid outer shell that houses the inner shell. The rigid outer shell of the cooling tote provides structural rigidity to compensate for the reduced strength of the insulating material of the inner shell when the cooling totes are stacked on top of each other within the grid framework structure. The rigid shell can be made of any rigid material known in the art, such as metal, plastic material, etc.

[0020] The greater the exposure of the refrigerant to the interior storage space of the cooling tote, the greater the rate of heat transfer between the air in the interior storage space and the refrigerant, and therefore the greater the cooling effect, i.e., more frigories of cooling power from the refrigerant are available to cool the interior storage space of the cooling tote. A frigory is a unit of heat extraction rate equal to one calorie per hour. To maximize exposure of the refrigerant in at least one of the base wall and / or opposing side walls and / or opposing end walls and / or lid of the cooling tote, optionally at least one of the base wall and / or opposing side walls and / or opposing end walls and / or lid of each of the one or more cooling totes with pockets includes one or more cutouts extending into the interior of the box-like structure such that at least a portion of the refrigerant plate is exposed within the interior space of the one or more cooling totes.

[0021] A refrigerant has a limited "cooling time" within a refrigerator or cooling chamber before recharging, i.e., refreezing, of the refrigerant is required. For purposes of the present definition, the term "cooling time" is taken to mean the duration that a refrigerant plate, e.g., a eutectic plate, provides cooling within one or more cooling totes. In other words, it is the time that has elapsed while the refrigerant plate is within the cooling tote. Typically, a standard eutectic plate that provides a cooling effect within a temperature range of -30°C to -15°C has a cooling time with a predetermined cooling duration within a range of up to 12 hours, or even 24 hours to 30 hours, before recharging of the eutectic plate is required. To allow for recharging of the refrigerant plate, preferably the refrigerant plate is removably receivable within at least one pocket in the base wall and / or opposing side walls and / or opposing end walls, and / or lid of each of the one or more cooling totes.

[0022] Because the cooling time of the refrigerant plate has a limited, predetermined cooling duration, it is necessary that the cooling time of the refrigerant plate be monitored when a cooling tote incorporating the refrigerant plate is placed within the grid framework structure in order to determine when the refrigerant plate needs to be recharged, or there is a risk that the refrigerant will completely thaw within the cooling tote and will no longer be able to provide a cooling effect to the cooling tote's interior storage space and contents. Optionally, a storage and retrieval system according to the present invention further comprises a control system comprising one or more processors and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors: i) recording a start time that a refrigerant plate is placed into at least one of a base wall and / or an opposing side wall and / or an opposing end wall and / or a lid of each of one or more cooling totes; ii) determining the duration of time elapsed within one or more cooling totes from the recorded start time to define a cooling time; and by commanding a robotic load handling device operable on a track structure of the grid framework structure to remove one or more cooling totes from the grid framework structure if the cooling time has exceeded or is approaching a predetermined cooling duration; A grid framework structure is configured to determine a duration of one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure.

[0023] The cooling time is defined as the time elapsed when the refrigerant is in at least one of the base wall and / or opposing side wall and / or opposing end wall and / or lid of the one or more cooling totes. The cooling time depends on the quality and amount of refrigerant in the eutectic plate. Typically, the cooling time has a predetermined cooling duration in the range of 8 to 12 hours or 24 to 30 hours to provide a cooling effect of -30°C to -15°C or -2°C to 8°C. If the time elapsed from the start time when the refrigerant plate was placed in at least one of the base wall and / or opposing side wall and / or opposing end wall and / or lid of each of the one or more cooling totes, i.e., the cooling time, exceeds the predetermined cooling duration, the control system can command one or more robotic load handling devices operable on the grid framework structure to retrieve the cooling tote with the problematic refrigerant plate so that the problematic refrigerant plate can be replaced with a charged refrigerant plate from the cooling station. The depleted refrigerant plate may be recharged by placing the depleted refrigerant plate in a cooling chamber to refreeze the thawed refrigerant in the depleted refrigerant plate. The cooling time resumes as soon as the depleted refrigerant plate is replaced with a fully charged plate in a cooling tote. The cooling tote or totes are then stored in the grid framework structure as soon as one or more charged refrigerant plates are placed in the cooling tote or totes, so the start time may be the time that the cooling tote or totes enter the grid framework structure.

[0024] When the cooling time exceeds or approaches a predetermined cooling duration for providing a useful cooling effect in the cooling tote, optionally, the one or more cooling totes are transported to a cooling station comprising a plurality of refrigerant plates, said cooling station comprising a refrigeration system for cooling the plurality of refrigerant plates within a temperature range of -25°C to -15°C or 2°C to 8°C such that one or more refrigerant plates in the one or more retrieved cooling totes can be replaced by one or more refrigerant plates from the cooling station.

[0025] In order for the control system to determine the status of the refrigerant plate in the cooling tote, optionally each of the plurality of refrigerant plates comprises a label for identifying each of the plurality of refrigerant plates. By being able to identify the refrigerant plate, the control system can assign a start time to the refrigerant plate when it is placed in the cooling tote, and store data associated with the identification and start time of the refrigerant plate in a database. The label can comprise any one of a barcode, a 1D barcode, a 2D barcode, or a QR code, or an RFID tag. Depending on the type of label, a radio frequency identification reader, a linear and / or matrix barcode reader, a payment card reader, a smart card reader, an infrared reader may be used to read the label. In order to determine the type of refrigerant plate in the cooling tote, preferably the identification comprises data associated with whether the refrigerant plate is a freezer plate or a chilled plate. The label may be readable by an input device to ascertain the identification of each of the plurality of refrigerant plates in the cooling station or cooling tote or grid framework structure.

[0026] The start time may be used by the control system to determine the state of the refrigerant plate when placed in the cooling tote. Optionally, the control system: i) assigning one or more refrigerant plate identities to one or more cooling totes; ii) tracking the location of one or more cooling totes within a grid framework structure; iii) configured to store in a database the location of one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure.

[0027] Preferably, the control system is configured to assign one or more refrigerant plate identities to one or more cooling totes depending on whether the items are chilled or frozen. Different types of refrigerant plates are used in the cooling totes depending on whether the items are chilled or frozen. One or more freezer plates are used in the cooling totes to store frozen items and one or more chilled plates are used in the cooling totes to store chilled items. The refrigerant plate identity comprises data associated with a type of refrigerant plate that is assigned to one or more cooling totes depending on whether the items in the one or more cooling totes are frozen or chilled.

[0028] By tracking the location of the cooled totes stored within the grid framework structure, the control system can command the robotic load handling device to retrieve the cooled tote whenever the cooling time of the refrigerant plate within the cooled tote exceeds or approaches its predetermined cooling duration. The position of the robotic load handling device on the track system can be used to determine the position of the cooled tote within the grid structure in the XY plane. For example, sensors at the intersection of tracks extending the X and Y axes can be used to determine the position of the robotic load handling device in the horizontal plane on the track system, and the position of the cooled tote vertically within a given stack of storage containers can be determined from the depth to which the cooled tote is lowered into the given stack.

[0029] Optionally, the control system comprises: i) searching a database for data associated with the identification of one or more refrigerant plates; ii) correlating the identity of the one or more refrigerant plates to one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure; iii) determining the status of one or more refrigerant plates by comparing the cooling time of the one or more refrigerant plates with their respective predetermined cooling durations; The grid framework structure is configured to monitor a status of one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure.

[0030] Here, the control system monitors the status of one or more cooling totes in the grid framework structure by determining the length of time that a cooling tote remains stored in the grid framework structure by comparing the length of time that a refrigerant plate remains in the cooling tote, i.e., the cooling time, to its predetermined cooling duration. If the cooling time exceeds or approaches its predetermined cooling duration, this is an indication to the control system that the refrigerant plate in the cooling tote needs to be charged, i.e., placed in a freezer. Data associated with correlating the identification of one or more refrigerant plates to one or more cooling totes in the grid framework structure may be stored in a lookup table. When the control system identifies a cooling tote with a refrigerant plate that needs to be recharged, optionally the control system: i) retrieving data associated with a location of a cooling tote within a grid framework structure from a lookup table; ii) by instructing a robotic load handling device operable on a track system to retrieve the refrigerated totes from the grid framework structure using the location data; The cooling tote is configured to be retrieved from the grid framework structure.

[0031] Data associated with the location of the cooling tote within the grid framework structure may be represented by X, Y and Z coordinates. Typically, the container gripping assembly is adapted to engage with the top of the cooling tote, e.g., to mate with a corresponding engagement feature in a rim that forms the top surface of the cooling. Optionally, the cooling tote may include a plurality of openings or holes for engaging with the container gripping assembly. Individual storage containers, including cooling totes, may be stacked in vertical layers, and their locations within the grid framework structure or "hive" may be displayed using three-dimensional coordinates (e.g., (X,Y,Z), container at depth W) to represent the location of the robotic load handling device or storage container and the depth of the storage container. Similarly, locations within the grid framework structure may be displayed in two dimensions (e.g., (X,Y), container at depth Z) to represent the location of the robotic load handling device or storage container and the depth of the storage container. For example, Z=1 identifies the top layer of the grid, i.e., the layer immediately below the rail system, Z=2 is the second layer below the rail system, and so on down to the bottom layer, the lowest layer of the grid. A first set of parallel rails guides movement of the robotic load handling device in an X direction across the top of the grid framework structure, and a second set of parallel rails disposed perpendicular to the first set guides movement of the robotic load handling device in a Y direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. Once the control system identifies the location of the refrigerated tote within the grid framework structure, the robotic load handling device can then be instructed to retrieve the refrigerated tote from the grid framework structure using the location data stored in the database.

[0032] Further features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments which proceeds with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram of an automated storage and retrieval system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing a stack of bins arranged within the framework structure of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a system schematic diagram of a known load handling device operating on a grid framework structure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a load handling device showing a container receiving space within the body of the load handling device; [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are schematic cutaway perspective views of the load handling device of Fig. 4 showing a container that accommodates the container receiving space of the load handling device, respectively. [Figure 6] (a) A schematic side view of a grabber device of a load handling device. (b) A schematic perspective view of a grabber device of a load handling device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an assembled cooling tote. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic perspective view of the cooling tote of FIG. 7 with the lid raised above the opening of the cooling tote. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a cooling tote with a refrigerant plate stored within the lid of the cooling tote. [Figure 10] 13 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a cooling tote with a refrigerant plate stored within the lid of the cooling tote. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a cooling tote with a refrigerant plate stored within a base wall of the cooling tote. [Figure 12] 13 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a cooling tote with a refrigerant plate stored within the base wall of the cooling tote. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a cooling tote with refrigerant plates stored within opposing side walls of the cooling tote. [Figure 14] 1 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a cooling tote with refrigerant plates stored within opposing side walls of the cooling tote. [Figure 15]1A, 1B, and 1C are schematic perspective views of one, (a) a configuration of coolant plates within a cooling plate, (b) a different configuration of coolant plates within a cooling plate, and (c) a different configuration of coolant plates within a cooling plate. [Figure 16] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a trolley for storing multiple cooling totes. [Figure 17] 17 is a schematic perspective view of a cooling station housing multiple trolleys shown in FIG. 16; [Figure 18] (a) A diagram of an automated storage and retrieval system with a perimeter storage container and a stack of cooling totes within a grid framework structure. (b) Another diagram of an automated storage and retrieval system with a perimeter storage container and a stack of cooling totes within a grid framework structure. [Figure 19] (a) A diagram of an automated storage and retrieval system with cooling totes stacked within a distinct area of ​​a grid framework structure (b) Another diagram of an automated storage and retrieval system with cooling totes stacked within a distinct area of ​​a grid framework structure. [Figure 20] 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling control system according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is an example flowchart providing a simple overview of the steps in preparing cooling totes for storage within a grid framework structure. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 illustrates an example flow chart detailing the steps in monitoring the status of cooling totes stored within a grid framework structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] The present invention provides a storage and retrieval system in which storage containers arranged in a stack in a grid framework structure are retrievable from the grid framework structure by a load handling device. The load handling device comprises a lifting device and a gripping assembly for connecting to and lifting the storage container. FIG. 6 shows a container gripping assembly 139, also known as a grabber device, for releasably attaching to a storage container 10 below. The grabber device comprises a gripping element 184 comprising a pair of wings that can be folded to be receivable within a corresponding hole or opening in the top edge of the storage container. The wings are actuated into open and closed configurations by a suitable actuation mechanism coupled to a drive gear. More specifically, at least one head of the wings comprises a plurality of teeth that mesh with the drive gear such that when the gripping element 184 is actuated by the actuation mechanism, rotation of the drive gear rotates the pair of wings from a closed or folded configuration to an open, expanded configuration. When in the folded or closed configuration, the gripping element 184 is sized to be receivable within a corresponding hole in the top edge of the container. Each foot of the pair of wings includes a stop 188, e.g., a boss, so that when received in a corresponding hole in the upper edge of a container, the stop 188 engages the underside of the upper edge when in the expanded open configuration, thereby locking the container as the grabber device 139 is rolled upwardly towards the container receiving portion of the load handling device.

[0035] FIG. 7 illustrates a cooling tote 200 according to the present invention. A cooling tote is a type of storage container 10 capable of storing frozen or chilled foods. Frozen items are typically stored below −18° C. and chilled items are stored between 2° C. and 8° C. The cooling tote 200 is the same or substantially the same size and shape as a storage container 10 used for storage in a grid structure of ambient temperature items. The terms “ambient storage container” or “standard storage container” are used in this patent application to describe storage containers used to store items at ambient temperatures and to distinguish them from cooling totes used to store frozen or chilled foods. The cooling tote illustrated in FIG. 7 includes a base wall 210, a side wall 220, and an end wall 230. The side wall 220 and the end wall 230 extend upwardly from the base wall 210 to form a box-like structure having an opening 250 (FIG. 8). The cooling tote 200 also includes a lid 240. Lid 240 includes holes or openings 242 positioned to allow gripping elements 184 of grabber device 139 (FIG. 6) to engage and lock cooling tote 200 .

[0036] FIG. 8 shows the cooling tote of FIG. 7 with the lid 240 lifted from the side and end walls of the tote. The cooling tote further includes holes 225 in the upper edges of the opposing side and end walls 220 and 230. The holes 225 are positioned such that the holes 225 align with the holes 242 in the lid when the lid is on the cooling tote such that the gripping elements 184 of the grabber device 139 can engage and lock the cooling tote 200. The lid 240 includes an exterior surface 244 and an interior surface 246. The exterior surface 244 is exposed to the surrounding exterior environment. The interior surface 246 is sized and shaped to fit within an opening 250 of the cooling tote. Specifically, the interior surface 246 of the lid 240 is sized and shaped to fit snugly within the opening 250 to form an enclosed interior storage space, also referred to as an interior space. Chilled and / or frozen grocery items are kept cool within the interior space of the cooling tote as a result of the configuration of the side walls, end walls, base walls and / or lid as described herein, plus the use of a refrigerant plate as shown in FIG. 9. The opposing side walls 220, opposing end walls 230, base walls 210 and / or lid 240 comprise an insulating material such that heat from the ambient environment outside the cooling tote is prevented or reduced from being transferred through the base walls, opposing side walls, end walls and / or lid to warm the interior space. The insulating material may be a foam. Using insulating foam is particularly advantageous because air bubbles within a foam conduct heat less effectively than a solid and trapped gas within the foam prevents the gas from transferring heat by convection. Polyurethane and polystyrene foam are two such insulating foams that may be used. If the cooling tote comprises an insulating material, the base wall, opposing side walls, and opposing end walls may comprise a rigid outer shell housing (not shown) to provide sufficient structural rigidity to support the weight of multiple storage containers above in the stack. The rigid outer shell housing may be made from metal or plastic. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the base wall, opposing side walls, end walls, and / or lid may comprise a vacuum insulated core.A vacuum insulated core has little or no heat conduction due to the absence or near absence of air. In particular, a vacuum insulated core eliminates heat transfer by convection. Using a vacuum insulated core means that at least one of the base wall, opposing side walls, end walls and / or lid can be made very thin, thereby increasing the size of the interior space within the cooling tote. The opposing side walls, end walls, base wall and / or lid may be made from vacuum insulated panels that include a membrane wall to prevent ambient air from entering the panel and a panel of rigid highly porous material to support the membrane wall after the air is evacuated from the panel. The highly porous material may be, for example, glass fiber, perlite, aerogel, or fumed silica. A chemical may be added to the vacuum insulated core to collect gases that leak through the membrane.

[0037] FIG. 9 illustrates the cooling tote of FIGS. 7 and 8 with the added feature of a refrigerant plate 260. The refrigerant plate comprises a refrigerant for cooling the interior space of the cooling tote. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the refrigerant plate 260 is contained within the lid 240 of the cooling tote. The advantage of storing the refrigerant plate within the lid is that the cool air emitted from the refrigerant plate will drop to the bottom of the cooling plate due to its higher density compared to warm air. In particular, the refrigerant plate 260 is contained within a pocket 248 within the lid 240. The pocket 248 is positioned within the interior surface 246 of the lid. The refrigerant plate 260 is removably receivable within the pocket 248 within the lid 240. There is a snap-fit ​​or push-fit arrangement between the refrigerant plate 260 and the pocket 248 such that the refrigerant plate can be snapped or pushed into the pocket 248 and the refrigerant plate 260 is retained within the pocket 248. The inner surface of the lid may further include clips, fasteners, etc. to hold the refrigerant plate 260 in place in the pocket 248. As shown in FIG. 9, one side of the refrigerant plate is fully exposed to the interior space of the cooling tote, thus increasing the heat transfer between the air and the refrigerant in the interior storage space, thus providing a greater cooling effect. Thus, the refrigerant plate forms part of the inner surface of the lid. Thus, the grocery items in the interior space of the cooling tote are in direct contact with the refrigerant plate 260 in the lid 240, keeping the items cool by thermal conduction. Additionally, the refrigerant plate circulates cool air through the enclosed interior storage space, thus keeping the grocery items in the interior storage space cool by thermal convection.

[0038] Alternatively, the refrigerant plate may be slid into a pocket in the lid as shown in FIG. 10. The refrigerant plate 260 is receivable into the pocket 249 in the lid via a slot 247 in the lid 240 that forms an entrance to the pocket 249. The slot 247 has a width and height such that the refrigerant plate 260 can slide through the slot 247 and into the cavity 249. In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 where the refrigerant plate is snap-fit ​​and held in the pocket 248, in FIG. 10 the refrigerant plate 260 is held in place in the pocket 249 by the inner surface 246 of the lid. The inner surface 246 of the lid includes notches 245 to allow the cool air to flow into the interior space. There are three notches 245 shown in FIG. 10, each of the notches being equal in size and shape. Any size and shape of notches may be used to allow the cool air to flow from the refrigerant plate 260 to the interior space, however the larger the notches the more efficient the operation of the cooling tote.

[0039] The refrigerant plate may alternatively be included within the base wall of the cooling tote, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 shows one arrangement of the cooling tote in which the refrigerant plate 260 is receivable within a pocket 218 in the base wall via a slot 217 that forms an entrance to the pocket 218. The slot 217 is positioned within the base wall 210. When the refrigerant plate is positioned within the pocket 218, one side of the refrigerant plate 260 is fully exposed to the interior space of the cooling plate. The refrigerant plate thus forms a portion of the interior surface of the base wall. Thus, grocery items within the interior space of the cooling tote are in direct contact with the refrigerant plate and the items are cooled by thermal conduction. Figure 12 shows another arrangement of the cooling tote in which the refrigerant plate 260 is receivable within a pocket 219 in the base wall, where the refrigerant plate 260 is snapped or pressed into the pocket 219. Clips or fasteners (not shown) may also be used to hold the refrigerant plate in place within the pocket 219. When the refrigerant plate is positioned within the pocket, one side of the refrigerant plate is fully exposed to the interior space of the cooling tote, and thus forms a portion of the inner surface of the base wall.

[0040] The refrigerant plate may alternatively be included within the sidewall of the cooling tote as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. In order for the sidewall to accommodate the refrigerant plate, the sidewall is stepped such that an upper portion 236 of the sidewall is wider than a lower portion 237 of the sidewall. In FIG. 13, the refrigerant plate is receivable within a pocket 228 in the sidewall 220 via a slot 227 that forms an entrance to the pocket 228. The slot 227 is positioned within the sidewall such that the refrigerant plate 260 may be slid horizontally into the pocket 228. The sidewall 220 includes a sliding surface 225 that allows the refrigerant plate to more easily slide into the pocket 228. There may be one or more protruding lips (not shown) adjacent the sliding surface to hold the refrigerant plate in place as it is being slid into the pocket and also to hold the refrigerant plate in place when it is completely inside the pocket. Alternatively, clips or other fastening mechanisms may be used to hold the refrigerant plate in place within the pocket. One side of the refrigerant plate 260 is fully exposed to the interior space of the cooling tote when the refrigerant plate is in place in the pocket 228 to allow for efficient cooling of the interior space. Thus, the refrigerant plate forms a portion of the inner surface of the sidewall.

[0041] 14 shows another embodiment of a cooling tote in which a refrigerant plate 260 is receivable within a pocket 229 in the sidewall via a slot 223 that forms an entrance to the pocket 229. The slot is positioned in the sidewall such that the refrigerant plate 260 can be slid or dropped longitudinally into the pocket 229. The refrigerant plate 260 is held in place within the pocket 229 in the sidewall 220 by the inner surface 221 of the sidewall 220. The inner surface 221 of the sidewall 220 includes a notch 261 similar to that shown in FIG.

[0042] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, two refrigerant plates 260 are positioned in the cooler tote, one refrigerant plate positioned in each of the opposing side walls 220. However, the cooling tote may include one, two, three, or four refrigerant plates 260, as shown in Figure 15. The cooling tote of Figure 15(a) includes four refrigerant plates, one in the lid, one in each of the opposing side walls, and one in the base wall. This creates an interior space suitable for storing freezer items that tend to thaw quickly. The cooling tote of Figure 15(b) includes three refrigerant plates, one in the lid and one in each of the opposing side walls. The cooling tote of Figure 15(c) includes one refrigerant plate in the lid. Thus, there are various configurations of cooling totes. In particular, the lid 240 of the cooling tote may be interchangeable such that a lid without pockets may be replaced with a lid with pockets, and vice versa, if required.

[0043] In all of the cooling tote embodiments described above and shown in Figures 7 through 15, the refrigerant plate is identical in terms of size and shape. This means that when the refrigerant plate is running out of charge, is about to thaw and is no longer able to cool the interior space of the cooling tote, or is nearing the end of a predetermined cooling duration, it can be removed and replaced with a charged refrigerant plate that fits into an empty pocket in the lid, opposing side wall, opposing end wall, or base wall of the cooling tote. There may be differences in the refrigerant in the refrigerant plate, for example, water may be used as the refrigerant for cooling totes that are used to cool refrigerated grocery items, particularly those suitable for a refrigerator, and a mixture of rock salt and water may be used as the refrigerant for cooling totes that are used to cool frozen grocery items, particularly those suitable for a refrigerator.

[0044] Refrigerant plates 260 that are removed from the cooling tote and need to be recharged are stored in a trolley 320 as shown in FIG. 16. The trolley is configured so that it holds multiple refrigerant plates on multiple levels. In FIG. 16, the trolley has three levels, with each level holding approximately 20 refrigerant plates 260. This particular arrangement provides space-efficient storage of the refrigerant plates during charging, although other arrangements may be used. On the trolley, each refrigerant plate is separated from adjacent refrigerant plates.

[0045] The refrigerant plates 260 for recharging are transported on a trolley to a cooling station 420 as shown in FIG. 17. The cooling station includes a refrigeration system for cooling the refrigerant plates within a temperature range of −30° C. to 0° C. so that the uncharged refrigerant plates in the cooling tote can be replaced by one or more refrigerant plates from the cooling station. The trolley 320 storing the uncharged refrigerant plates 260 is advanced into the cooling station through a doorway 430, and the trolley with the refrigerant plates is stored in the cooling station 420 while the refrigerant plates are being charged. It is important that the refrigerant is completely frozen and solidified before the refrigerant plates are used. If it is not frozen through, the refrigerant will have a reduced ability to absorb heat and its cooling capacity will be reduced, thus requiring immediate recharging. The freezing temperature of the refrigerant plate must be at least 5° C. lower than the melting temperature of the refrigerant. Separating each refrigerant plate from the adjacent refrigerant plates on the trolley 320 allows cold air to circulate between the refrigerant plates, thereby reducing the charging time or the time it takes for the refrigerant plates to freeze. The charging or freezing state of the refrigerant plate may be verified by shaking the refrigerant plate. If there is any movement from the liquid or semi-liquid state, it means that the charging state is not complete and the refrigerant is not frozen. Alternatively, the refrigerant plate 260 may be stored in the cooling station 420 for a predetermined amount of time that ensures that the refrigerant plate is completely frozen. The predetermined amount of time may be between 2 hours and 5 hours, or 6 hours and 24 hours, for example, 12 hours or 18 hours. Once the refrigerant plates are fully charged or frozen, they may replace any uncharged refrigerant in the pockets in the cooling tote or totes.

[0046] Cooling totes that are the same size and shape as the standard storage containers may be stored on the grid framework structure intermixed with the ambient storage containers or separate from the standard storage containers. FIG. 18 shows cooling totes 200 stored in a grid framework structure 714 along with ambient storage containers 500. The grid framework structure 714 includes a track system 320 including a first set of parallel rails or tracks 322a and a second set of parallel rails or tracks 322b extending transversely to the first set in a substantially horizontal plane to form a grid pattern including a plurality of grid spaces 310. The load handling device 30 is movable and operable on the tracks of the track system 320. Below the track system 320 are a plurality of storage columns with ambient storage containers 500 and cooling totes arranged in stacks. The cooling totes 200 are stacked and interspersed within the grid framework structure such that 0 to 100% of a particular stack includes cooling totes. Because the cooled totes use passive rather than active cooling, the grid framework structure 714 does not need to be modified to accommodate the cooled totes. Additionally, the passive cooling of the cooled totes means that the load handling device's power supply is not degraded as occurs as a result of low temperatures in active cooling systems. In fact, the load handling device can retrieve the cooled totes from the grid in the same manner using a gripping device as with the surrounding storage containers. Thus, incorporating the cooled totes 200 within the grid framework structure 714 such that they are intermixed in a stack with the surrounding totes 500 provides a cost-effective method of storing and retrieving chilled and frozen groceries. FIG. 19 shows an alternative arrangement of the grid framework structure in which the cooled totes 200 are positioned within a distinctive portion 600 on one side of the grid framework structure. Thus, the cooled totes are isolated from the surrounding storage containers and compartmentalized within the confines of the grid framework structure. By positioning the cooling totes in this manner, the cool air lost from a cooling tote helps keep adjacent cooling totes cooler, thereby keeping the cooling tote cooler for a longer period of time.Thus, the predetermined cooling duration is extended. The predetermined cooling duration may be between 8 and 12 hours, or 24 and 30 hours. Although the cooling totes are stacked within one area or portion 600 of the grid framework structure, any load handling device 30 can retrieve the cooling totes. Other arrangements of the cooling totes within the grid framework structure are possible, such as, for example, positioning the cooling totes 200 around the perimeter of the grid framework structure.

[0047] While the present description describes refrigeration plates that are receivable within the base wall, side walls, end walls and lid, the refrigerant may alternatively be integrated within the cooling tote such that charging of the refrigerant may also include placing at least a portion of the cooling tote, e.g., the lid, within the cooling station. In this case, when the refrigerant plate runs out of charge and is thawed, or is near its predetermined cooling duration, the lid can be removed from the cooling tote, placed on a trolley such as that shown in FIG. 16, transported to the cooling station of FIG. 17, recharged within the cooling station, and then placed on the cooling tote to cool items within the interior space of the cooling tote. The dimensions and shape of the cooling tote are substantially uniform to allow the cooling totes to be stacked within the grid framework structure, so that the lid of the cooling tote is easily replaceable. Cooling Control System FIG. 20 shows a schematic diagram of a cooling control system 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a control system 702, an input device 704, a user interface 706, and a database 708. The control system 702 controls the operation of the cooling control system and comprises one or more processors 702a, a memory 702b (e.g., read-only memory and random access memory), and a communication bus 702c. A local user interface 706, e.g., a smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, laptop, etc., is communicatively coupled to the control system 702 by a communication network via a wired or wireless transmitter / receiver. For example, the communication network can be a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any other type of network. The one or more processors of the control system can execute instructions stored in ROM and / or RAM to provide at least part of the functionality of the dispatch system described herein. The one or more processors of the control system are communicatively coupled to the wireless / wired transmitter / receiver via the communication bus. A cloud (not shown) may form part of the control system, such that data processing and storage may be performed within the cloud.

[0048] To identify one or more refrigerant plates within the cooling tote, each of the refrigerant plates comprises a label 710 comprising data associated with the identity of its respective refrigerant plate. The label 710 can be in the form of a barcode, e.g., a 2D barcode, a QR code, an RFID tag. The identity of the refrigerant plate comprises data associated with the cooling capacity of the refrigerant contained within the plate, which depends on the item for storage within the cooling tote. To maintain frozen items in a frozen state, typically the refrigerant plate provides cooling in a temperature range of -30°C to -15°C and is defined as a freezer plate. Similarly, to maintain chilled items in a chilled state, typically the refrigerant plate provides cooling in a temperature range of 2°C to 8°C and is defined as a chilled plate. To determine the different types of refrigerant plates within the cooling tote and to correlate the different types of refrigerant plates to the cooling capacity of the cooling tote, the identity of the refrigerant plate comprises data associated with the type of refrigerant plate.

[0049] A suitable input device 704, e.g., a barcode reader, can be used to read the label and data associated with the identification of the refrigerant plate is entered into the control system 702 via the input device 704 and then stored in the database 708. Optionally, the cooling tote can be provided with a dedicated label 712 to identify the cooling tote in storage within the grid framework structure discussed above. As with the refrigerant plate, data associated with the identification of the cooling tote is read by a suitable input device (not shown) and the data is then stored in the database. The identity of the cooling tote can also be associated with the cooling capacity of the cooling tote. As with the refrigerant plate, the identity of the cooling tote can be defined as a freezer tote for providing a cooling capacity within a temperature range of -30°C to -15°C and the identity of the cooling tote can be defined as a chilled tote for providing a cooling capacity within a temperature range of -5°C to 0°C. The control system is configured to correlate the identity of the cooling tote to the identity of the refrigerant plate type within the cooling tote to determine the cooling tote, i.e., the freezer tote or the cooling tote's cooling capacity. Labeling of the cooling totes is not required because the processor or processors of the control system can execute instructions to track the location of a robotic load handling device carrying a cooling tote when the robotic load handling device is instructed to place the cooling tote for storage within the grid framework structure 714. However, labeling of the cooling tote provides confirmation to the control system that an identified refrigerant plate is in the correct cooling tote.

[0050] Flowchart 720 shown in FIG. 21 provides a simple overview of the stages in preparing a cooling tote for storage within a grid framework structure. In use, when a cooling tote is being prepared for storage of one or more items or goods, e.g., chilled or frozen grocery items, at a temperature below ambient temperature, one or more processors 702a of the control system 702 are instructed to receive data associated with the identity of the refrigerant plate via the input device 704 to determine the type of refrigerant plate to be used to cool the cooling tote, which depends largely on the cooling capacity required for the cooling tote. This is illustrated in FIG. 21 by step 724 of the input device 704 reading a label on the refrigerant plate. The data associated with the identity of the refrigerant plate is stored in database 708. As discussed above, preparation of the cooling tote is performed in a cooling station comprising a refrigeration system and a cooling chamber for cooling a plurality of refrigerant plates. The refrigeration system is controlled to ensure that the refrigerant in the refrigerant plate is completely frozen before being used in the cooling tote, also known as "charging" the refrigerant plate. The charging of the refrigerant plate depends on whether the refrigerant plate provides a freezer or chilled cooling effect in the cooling tote.

[0051] Once the identity of the refrigerant plate is identified, the refrigerant plate is placed inside at least one base wall and / or opposing side wall and / or opposing end wall of the cooling tote, or a pocket in the lid (728). In addition to identifying the type of refrigerant plate, the input device may also be used to read a label on the cooling tote that includes the refrigerant plate (726). This is shown in FIG. 21 as a dotted box indicating that it is an optional step. The data associated with the identity of the cooling tote is then stored in a database. The control system is configured to assign the identity of the refrigerant plate to the identity of the cooling tote that includes that refrigerant plate. A start time is recorded by the control system when the identity of the refrigerant plate is placed in the cooling tote that is recorded in the database. The start time provides an identification of the cooling time of the refrigerant in the cooling tote. This is repeated as other refrigerant plates are placed in different cooling totes. A lookup table is thus generated that includes data associated with the identity of the refrigerant plate, the identity of the cooling tote, and the start time when the refrigerant plate was placed in the cooling tote and / or entered the grid frame structure. Once the refrigerant plate is placed in the cooling tote, the cooling tote is transferred to a grid framework structure (referred to as "Grid" in FIG. 21) for storage (730). The start time can optionally include the time the cooling tote with the refrigerant plate entered the grid framework structure. Instead of, or in addition to, recording the identity of the cooling tote via a label on the cooling tote, the identity of the cooling tote can also include the location of the cooling tote during storage within the grid framework structure. For example, the location of the robotic load handling device on the track system can be used to determine the location of the cooling tote within the grid structure in the XY plane.For example, sensors at the intersection of tracks extending the X and Y axes can be used to determine the position of a robotic load handling device in a horizontal plane on the track system, and the position of a cooling tote vertically within a stack of storage containers can be determined from the depth to which the cooling tote is lowered into a given stack.

[0052] One or more cooling totes according to the present invention are construed as being capable of being stored within a stack of storage containers in an ambient temperature environment. However, the refrigerant plates within the cooling tote remain charged or in a frozen state to provide a useful cooling effect for a limited period of time, known as the predetermined cooling duration. When the predetermined cooling duration expires or approaches its expiration, the cooling effectiveness of the refrigerant plates disappears and the refrigerant plates need to be recharged or replaced with newly charged plates. FIG. 22 is an example of a flow chart 800 detailing the stages in monitoring the status of a cooling tote during storage within a grid framework structure. The process steps begin with the control system identifying the cooling tote in a lookup table (822) and calculating the cooling time from the start time discussed above (824). In practice, the control system continuously monitors the cooling time and compares it to its corresponding predetermined cooling duration in the lookup table. Any cooling time that exceeds or approaches the predetermined cooling duration is indicated as a "red" flag in the look-up table, providing an indication to the control system of the need to recharge or replace the refrigerant plates in the cooling tote at the cooling station.

[0053] In determining whether a refrigerant plate needs to be recharged or charged at a cooling station, one or more processors of the control system execute instructions to determine whether the cooling time is greater than a predetermined cooling period (826). If the answer to this question is "yes," the control system identifies (828) the problem cooling tote within a grid framework structure (denoted as "Grid" in FIG. 22). As discussed above, the identification of the cooling tote may include the location of the cooling tote within the grid framework structure. Such data may be found within the look-up table discussed above. Once the identity of the problem cooling tote is identified, the control system is configured to retrieve (830) the cooling tote from the grid framework structure and provide instructions to a robotic load handling device operable on a track to move (832) the cooling tote to a cooling station. At the cooling station, the depleted refrigerant plate is replaced with a charged refrigerant plate (834). The process illustrated in FIG. 22 iterates to identify refrigerant plates within the cooling tote and correlate the identity of the refrigerant plate to the cooling tote. Once the cooling tote has been replenished with charged refrigerant plates, the control system is configured to return the cooling tote to the grid framework structure for storage (836). This process step is repeated for any other cooling totes in storage within the grid framework structure, and continues in that manner in a continuous cycle.

[0054] Typically, refrigerant plates, especially those based on eutectic mixtures, can maintain their cooling time for a given cooling duration of 8 to 12 hours or 24 to 30 hours depending on the type of eutectic mixture. This can be a storage time long enough to fill customer orders in one pass of several grocery items or goods in storage without having to return the cooling tote to the cooling station. Such items or goods include convenience grocery items, or goods such as milk, butter for chilled products, and frozen items or goods such as ice cream for frozen products.

[0055] Although the control system has been described with reference to a refrigerant plate, the refrigerant plate may also be at least a portion of a cooling tote, and in particular the lid of the cooling tote. Thus, the process steps of identifying the refrigerant plate and determining the cooling time of the refrigerant plate may be applied to the lid of the cooling tote. The lid of the cooling tote represents the least bulky part of the cooling tote and therefore does not take up much space in the cooling station. As discussed above, the refrigerant may be integrated into the lid of the cooling tote. Thus, instead of charging the refrigerant plate in the cooling station, the cooling station may be configured to charge multiple lids. Because the dimensions of the cooling totes are generally uniform, the lids may be interchangeable between different cooling totes. This allows multiple lids to be charged at the cooling station, and the control system is configured to instruct the robotic load handling device to retrieve the cooling tote from the grid framework structure when the cooling time of the refrigerant in the lid reaches or approaches its predetermined cooling duration. Upon arrival at the cooling station, the process of replacing the lid of the cooling tote with the charged lid from the cooling station continues as described in the process steps of FIG. 21. Similarly, the control system monitors the state of the refrigerant in the lid by generating a look-up table with a recorded start time when the lid was placed on the cooling tote and the time that has elapsed since the start time, i.e., the cooling time. Similarly, it is contemplated by the present invention that the entire cooling tote may be charged at the cooling station rather than the lid. Multiple cooling totes with integrated refrigerant may be charged at the cooling station.

Claims

1. 1. A storage and retrieval system comprising: a grid framework structure comprising a track system and a plurality of storage columns disposed adjacent to one another, said track system comprising a first set of parallel rails or tracks and a second set of parallel rails or tracks extending transversely to the first set in a substantially horizontal plane to form a grid pattern comprising a plurality of grid spaces; a plurality of storage containers disposed in a stack within each of the plurality of storage columns and positioned below the track system, each of the plurality of storage containers including a base wall and opposing side and end walls extending from the base wall to form a box-like structure having an opening; at least one load handling device disposed on said track system and arranged to move laterally above said stack on said rails, said load handling device comprising a lifting device arranged to lift one or more containers or portions thereof from the stack, said lifting device comprising a container gripping assembly configured to releasably grip a storage container, and a lifting drive assembly configured to raise and lower said container gripping assembly; Equipped with one or more of the plurality of storage containers includes a lid that closes an opening of the one or more storage containers to define a cooling tote; at least one of the base wall, and / or opposing side walls, and / or opposing end walls, and / or the lid of the cooling tote includes a pocket for containing a refrigerant; A storage and retrieval system, wherein the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -30°C to 0°C for storing frozen or chilled foods.

2. 10. The storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant comprises a eutectic mixture having a freezing point within the range of -30°C to -15°C for cooling frozen foods.

3. 10. The storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -5°C to 0°C for cooling chilled food products.

4. The storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is contained within the lid of the one or more cooling totes.

5. 5. The storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the at least one base wall, opposing side walls, opposing end walls, and / or the lid of the one or more cooling totes are made from insulating foam.

6. The storage and retrieval system of claim 5 , wherein the insulating foam comprises polyurethane foam and / or polystyrene foam.

7. 7. The storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the base wall, opposing side walls, opposing end walls, and / or the lid of the one or more cooling totes comprises a vacuum insulated core.

8. The storage and retrieval system of claim 7 , wherein the vacuum insulated core forms a portion of a vacuum insulated panel.

9. 9. The storage and retrieval system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the base wall and the opposing side and end walls extending from the base wall of the box-like structure of each of the one or more cooling totes form an inner shell, and each of the one or more cooling totes further comprises a rigid outer shell that houses the inner shell.

10. 10. The storage and retrieval system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the refrigerant is contained within a plate to define the refrigerant plate such that when the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -30°C to -15°C, the refrigerant plate is defined as a freezer plate, and when the refrigerant has a freezing point within the range of -5°C to -0°C, the refrigerant plate is defined as a chilled plate.

11. 11. The storage and retrieval system of claim 10, wherein the at least one base wall, and / or opposing side walls and / or opposing end walls and / or the lid of each of the one or more cooling totes comprising the pocket comprises one or more cutouts extending into an interior of the box-like structure such that at least a portion of the refrigerant plate is exposed within an interior space of the one or more cooling totes.

12. 12. The storage and retrieval system of claim 10 or 11, wherein the refrigerant plate is removably receivable within the at least one pocket of the base wall, and / or opposing side walls, and / or opposing end walls, and / or the lid of each of the one or more cooling totes.

13. The storage and retrieval system of claim 10 , wherein the refrigerant plate is the lid of the cooling tote.

14. The storage and retrieval system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling tote includes a plurality of openings for engagement with the container gripping assembly.

15. and a control system comprising one or more processors and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, i) recording a start time that the refrigerant plate is placed into at least one of the base wall and / or the opposing side wall and / or the opposing end wall and / or the lid of each of the one or more cooling totes; ii) determining a duration of time elapsed within the one or more cooling totes from the recorded start time to define a cooling time; and by instructing a robotic load handling device operable on said track structure to remove said one or more cooling totes from said grid framework structure if said cooling time exceeds or approaches a predetermined cooling duration; The storage and retrieval system of claim 10 , configured to determine the duration of the one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure.

16. 16. The storage and retrieval system of claim 15, wherein the start time is a time that the one or more cooled totes enter the grid framework structure.

17. 17. The storage and retrieval system of claim 15 or 16, wherein the one or more cooling totes are transported to a cooling station comprising a plurality of refrigerant plates, the cooling station comprising a refrigeration system for cooling the plurality of refrigerant plates within a temperature range of -30°C to 0°C such that one or more refrigerant plates in the one or more retrieved cooling totes can be replaced by one or more refrigerant plates from the cooling station.

18. 18. The storage and retrieval system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of refrigerant plates comprises a label readable by an input device to verify the identity of each of the plurality of refrigerant plates within the cooling station or cooling tote or grid framework structure.

19. 20. The storage and retrieval system of claim 18, wherein the label comprises one of a barcode, a 1D barcode, a 2D barcode, or a QR code, or an RFID tag.

20. 20. The storage and retrieval system of claim 18 or 19, wherein the identity comprises data associated with whether the refrigerant plate is a freezer plate or a chilled plate.

21. The control system comprises: i) assigning one or more refrigerant plate identities to said one or more cooling totes; ii) tracking the location of the one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure; iii) storing the location of the one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure in a database.

21. The storage and retrieval system of claim 20 configured to:

22. 22. The storage and retrieval system of claim 21, wherein the control system is configured to assign the identity of one or more refrigerant plates to the one or more cooling totes depending on whether an item is a chilled or frozen item.

23. The control system comprises: i) searching said database for data associated with the identification of one or more refrigerant plates; ii) correlating the identification of the one or more refrigerant plates to one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure; iii) determining a status of the one or more refrigerant plates by comparing the cooling time of the one or more refrigerant plates with their respective predetermined cooling durations; 21. The storage and retrieval system of claim 20, configured to monitor a status of the one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure.

24. 24. The storage and retrieval system of claim 23, wherein data associated with correlating the identification of the one or more refrigerant plates to one or more cooling totes within the grid framework structure is stored in a lookup table.

25. The control system comprises: i) retrieving data from said lookup table associated with a location of a cooling tote within said grid framework structure; ii) instructing a robotic load handling device operable on said track system to retrieve said refrigerated totes from said grid framework structure using said location data; 25. The storage and retrieval system of claim 24, configured to retrieve the cooling totes from the grid framework structure.

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