Article transfer system and storage and retrieval system

Abstract

The article transfer system includes a storage container (51) having a U-shaped insert (57) nested within the storage container (51). The article transfer system also includes an article transfer station (68) having a lifting device (74) for vertically moving the insert from the storage container to a raised position when the insert is in the raised position, and an article transfer device (78) for horizontally moving articles onto and / or from the insert.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated system for transferring articles into and out of a storage container, and an automated storage and retrieval system.

Background Art

[0002] Some commercial and industrial activities require systems that enable the storage and retrieval of a number of different products. WO2015 / 019055A1 describes a storage and retrieval system in which stacks of storage containers are arranged within a grid storage structure. The storage containers are accessed from above by a load handling device operating on rails or tracks located at the top of the grid storage structure.

[0003] Articles stored within the storage and retrieval system are stored within the storage containers. The articles can be products stored directly within the storage containers. The articles can also be sub-containers designed to fit within the storage containers. The sub-containers can accommodate products for storage or for grouped orders to be delivered to customers.

[0004] Taking into account the wide range of products that can be stored within the storage and retrieval system, it is difficult to automate the transfer of products into and out of the storage containers and typically this is done manually. Sub-containers are typically transferred into and out of the storage containers by hand or by machines specifically configured to handle the particular design of the sub-containers and storage containers.

[0005] To improve efficiency, it is desirable to provide a system for automating the transfer of articles into and / or out of the storage containers. It is also desirable for the system to be able to handle the loading and / or unloading of different types of articles including products and sub-containers.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention is defined in the appended claims.

[0007] The present invention provides an article transfer system. The article transfer system includes a container unit. The container unit includes a storage container having an upper opening, and an insert configured to be nested within the storage container. The insert includes an insert base, and a pair of opposing insert sidewalls extending upward from the insert base so as to define an insert channel having a pair of end openings that face each other horizontally to allow articles to enter and exit the insert channel in the horizontal direction. The article transfer system further includes an article transfer station. The article transfer station includes a lifting device configured to vertically move the insert from the storage container to a raised position where the insert base is above the storage container, and to vertically move the insert back into the storage container from the raised position, and an article moving device configured to horizontally move articles onto and / or from the insert base through the end openings when the insert is in the raised position.

[0008] The container unit and article transfer station of the present invention enable an automated, flexible, multi-functional article transfer system in which one or more types of articles can be transferred into and / or out of container unit 50. Since articles can be transferred into or out of insert 57 by lifting insert 57 and moving it only in the horizontal direction, there is no need to transfer articles by picking them up, and thus there is no need to consider how different types of articles (which may have different shapes, sizes, weights, compliabilities, vulnerabilities, etc.) need to be gripped and lifted by the automated system. Thus, there is also no need to provide dedicated equipment for picking up different types of articles respectively. Thus, the present invention provides a system for transferring different types of articles into and / or out of a storage container that is substantially independent of the type of article being transferred.

[0009] Furthermore, the use of inserts enables the article transfer system to be used with existing storage containers within an existing storage system without the need to redesign the storage container. Further, the use of inserts having upwardly extending side walls enables the inserts to be engaged and lifted from above. Alternative systems where the insert is pushed upwardly from below may require holes to be formed in the base of the storage container, which is undesirable as the storage container may not be able to contain leaks. The insert side walls also help prevent articles from falling from the base of the insert when the insert is in a raised position.

[0010] The U-shaped insertion channel also enables access to and observation of articles within the container unit from above. This can be useful in a system where the container unit is used to store products and the products are picked up from the container unit at a pick-up station for customer orders. The pick-up is typically done using a person, but increasingly is being automated using robotic arms. In either case, access to and observation of the articles from above may be required (for example, for a machine vision system).

[0011] The lifting device can be configured to engage the side walls of the insert to vertically move the insert into and out of the storage container. Each of the side walls of the insert can comprise a handle extending horizontally. The handle can extend horizontally in an outward direction. The lifting device can be configured to engage the handle to vertically move the insert. The lifting device may comprise a pair of opposing lifting members configured to engage the handle to vertically move the insert. The handle may comprise an engagement feature (for example, a protrusion or a recess) to engage a corresponding engagement feature of the lifting member when lifting the insert.

[0012] The handle of the insert may also extend outwardly. The storage container may comprise a pair of opposing side walls, each side wall comprising a notch extending downwardly from the upper surface (for example, a rim) of the side wall, the notch being configured such that each handle projects into the space defined by each notch when the insert is nested within the storage container. In this way, the handle does not occupy the volumetric storage space within the storage container or the insertion channel, thereby allowing the insertion channel to be made larger to hold more or larger articles.

[0013] The storage container may comprise container sidewalls. The insert sidewalls may be adjacent to the container sidewalls when the insert is nested within the storage container such that the insert sidewalls form part of the outer sidewalls of the container unit. The container sidewalls may be configured to define two opposing side openings. For example, the storage container may comprise two higher opposing container sidewalls arranged in a rectangular shape to define two opposing side openings, and two lower opposing container sidewalls. At least a portion of each insert sidewall, e.g., the upper portion, may be configured to occupy each respective side opening when the insert is nested within the storage container such that the insert sidewall and the container sidewall form a substantially continuous structure.

[0014] The insert sidewalls may be configured to vertically couple to the container sidewalls (e.g., the higher container sidewalls) when the insert is nested within the storage container. For example, each insert sidewall may comprise a downwardly extending protrusion configured to be received within a corresponding recess or notch within the container sidewall.

[0015] The insert may be open at the top or may at least comprise a top opening.

[0016] The insert base may be planar. The insert sidewalls may be planar. The underside of the insert base may comprise one or more ribs extending between the insert sidewalls to reinforce the insert base.

[0017] The insert base may be made of or coated with a material that provides a low friction surface to enable an article to slide relatively easily across the surface of the insert base. For example, the coefficient of friction of a particular article sliding on the low friction surface of the insert base may be lower than the coefficient of friction of the same article sliding on the container base.

[0018] The article moving device may include one or more pressing members configured to move in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis extending through the end opening of the insert channel to push the article horizontally onto and / or from the insert base through one of the end openings. Each pressing member may be selectively movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel using any suitable actuator, such as an electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic actuator. Each pressing member may be configured to move between an open position that enables the pressing member to be positioned relative to the article and a closed position for pushing the article. Each pressing member may be configured to pivotally rotate between the open position and the closed position using, for example, any suitable rotary actuator.

[0019] The article moving device may include a first pressing member and a second pressing member spaced apart from the first pressing member in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel. The first pressing member and the second pressing member may be configured to move to horizontally push a first article onto the insert base and horizontally push a second article from the insert base substantially simultaneously in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel.

[0020] The article moving device may be a robotic arm, such as a Cartesian robotic arm or an articulated robotic arm. The robotic arm may be configured to horizontally push the article onto and / or from the insert base through one of the end openings.

[0021] The article transfer station may further include an alignment mechanism configured to align the article centered about the longitudinal axis passing through the end opening of the insert channel. The alignment mechanism may include a pair of alignment members symmetrically positioned on both sides of the longitudinal axis adjacent to one of the end openings of the insert channel. The alignment members may be configured to move toward each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to align the article positioned therebetween centered.

[0022] The article transfer station may further include an incoming article conveyor associated with the raised position of the insert. The incoming article conveyor may be configured to transport the article to the lifting device. The article moving device may be configured to horizontally move the article from the incoming article conveyor so that the article is received onto the insert base through one of the end openings when the insert is in the raised position. The incoming article conveyor may include a conveying surface on which the article is transported. The conveying surface of the incoming article conveyor may be positioned at substantially the same height as the insert base or higher than the insert base when the insert is in the raised position. The incoming article conveyor may be configured to transport the article to a position adjacent to one of the end openings of the insert channel.

[0023] The article transfer system may further include a central incoming article conveyor and a plurality of article transfer stations, and each article transfer station includes an incoming article conveyor. The incoming article conveyors of the plurality of article transfer stations may be configured to transport the article from the central incoming article conveyor to the lifting devices of their respective article transfer stations.

[0024] The article transfer station may further include an outgoing article conveyor associated with the raised position of the insert. The outgoing article conveyor may be configured to transport the article away from the lifting device. The article moving device may be configured to horizontally move the article from the insert base so that the article is received on the outgoing article conveyor through one of the end openings when the insert is in the raised position. The outgoing article conveyor may include a conveying surface on which the article is transported. The conveying surface of the outgoing article conveyor may be positioned at substantially the same height as the insert base or lower than the insert base when the insert is in the raised position. The outgoing article conveyor may be configured to receive the article at a position adjacent to one of the end openings of the insert channel.

[0025] The article transfer system may further include a central outbound article conveyor and a plurality of article transfer stations, and each article transfer station includes an outbound article conveyor. The outbound article conveyors of the plurality of article transfer stations may be configured to transport articles from the lifting devices of the respective article transfer stations to the central outbound article conveyor.

[0026] When the article transfer station includes both an inbound article conveyor and an outbound article conveyor, the inbound article conveyor may be configured to transport articles to a position adjacent to one of the end openings of the insert channel, and the outbound article conveyor may be configured to receive articles at a position adjacent to the other end opening of the insert channel. The article moving device may be configured to horizontally move articles from the inbound article conveyor onto the insert base through one of the end openings, and horizontally move articles from the insert base onto the outbound article conveyor through the other end opening.

[0027] The article transfer station may further include a de-casing platform and a robotic arm configured to remove the case from the cased article before horizontally moving the article onto the insert base. The de-casing platform may include a cutting area having one or more cutting blades protruding upward from the upper surface of the de-casing platform, and a suction area having a hole extending through the de-casing platform and suction means for generating a downward suction force. The robotic arm may be configured to move the cased article over the cutting area to cut the bottom of the case. The robotic arm may then be configured to horizontally slide the cased article onto the insert base such that the bottom of the article slides directly on the insert base, and pass over the suction area to remove the bottom from the remaining portion of the case. The robotic arm may then be configured to lift the remaining case from the article to leave the cased article on the insert base.

[0028] The article transfer station may further include a stacking mechanism for stacking a second article on top of a first article on the insert base. The stacking mechanism may include a stacking plate configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position. Further, the lifting device is further configured to lower the insert from a raised position to a stacking position. While the insert is in the raised position, after the first article is horizontally moved onto the insert base using the article moving device, the insert is then lowered to the stacking position. The second article may be horizontally moved onto the stacking plate using the article moving device, and the stacking plate is moved to the extended position above the first article. Next, the stacking plate is moved to the retracted position to leave the second article on top of the first article.

[0029] The lifting device may be configured to vertically move the insert between a storage container and a plurality of raised positions. The article transfer station includes one or more article moving devices configured to horizontally move articles onto and / or from the insert base via an end opening for each raised position. Each raised position may have an associated article moving device, or a single article moving device may be associated with a plurality of raised positions. Each raised position may have an associated incoming article conveyor configured to transport articles to the lifting device and / or an associated outgoing article conveyor configured to transport articles away from the lifting device. For each raised position, one or more article moving devices may be configured to horizontally move articles from an incoming article conveyor associated such that the articles are received onto the insert base through one of the end openings, and / or one or more article moving devices may be configured to horizontally move articles from the insert base such that the articles are received onto an associated outgoing article conveyor through one of the end openings.

[0030] The article transfer station may further include an inbound container conveyor configured to transport the container unit to the lifting device, and an outbound container conveyor configured to transport the container unit away from the lifting device.

[0031] The storage and retrieval system may further include a storage area where a plurality of container units are arranged in a plurality of vertical stacks. The storage and retrieval system may be configured to transport the container unit from the storage area to the article transfer station and / or from the article transfer station to the storage area. The container unit may be transported from the storage area to the article transfer station via the inbound container conveyor and from the article transfer station to the storage area via the outbound container conveyor.

[0032] The storage area may include a storage structure. The storage structure may include a track structure attached to the upper part of the framework. The track structure may include a first set of tracks and a second set of tracks. The first set of tracks extends in a first direction, and the second set of tracks extends in a second direction. The second direction is substantially orthogonal to the first direction to form a grid pattern defining a plurality of grid cells. Each stack of container units may be disposed below a grid cell. The storage and retrieval system may further include one or more load handling devices. Each load handling device includes a drive assembly configured to horizontally move the load handling device on the track structure, a container holding device configured to releasably hold the container unit from above, and a lifting mechanism configured to lift and lower the container holding device.

[0033] The storage structure may include an access column and an exit column below the grid cell. The article transfer station may include an inbound container conveyor configured to transport the container unit from the exit column and the lifting device, and an outbound container conveyor configured to transport from the lifting device to the access column. The cargo handling device can deliver the container unit from the grid cell above the exit column onto the outbound container conveyor. The cargo handling device may pick up the container unit from the access column transported to the access column via the outbound article conveyor.

[0034] The container holding device of the cargo handling device may include a gripper. Each storage container may include a feature configured to engage with the gripper to enable the container unit to be lifted by the container holding device. Exemplary features include protrusions and / or recesses, and / or holes. For example, each storage container may include a rim having holes configured to receive the gripper of the container holding device and engage with the gripper of the container holding device.

[0035] The article moved onto and / or from the insert base can be any one of a product, a product sub-container for containing the product, garbage, and a delivery sub-container for containing a customer order. The sub-container is a container configured to fit within the storage container on the insert.

[0036] Next, the present invention will be described by way of examples only with reference to the accompanying drawings, where the same reference numerals are used for the same features.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0037]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Container unit FIG. 1 shows a container unit 50. The container unit 50 includes a storage container 51 and an insert 57 nested within the storage container 51. The term "container unit" is used herein to refer to the combination of the insert 57 nested within the storage container 51.

[0039] The storage container 51 has a rectangular container base 52 and container side walls 53 extending upward from the base 52 to define an upper opening 54. The storage container 51 may have features that enable the storage container 51 to be handled by a load handling device (described below).

[0040] FIG. 2 shows the insert 57 in a position vertically above the storage container 51, and FIGS. 3A and 3B show the insert 57 separated from the upper perspective view and the bottom perspective view, respectively. The insert 57 includes a rectangular insert base 58 and two opposing insert side walls 60 extending upward from the insert base 58. The insert base 58 and the insert side walls 60 are substantially planar and form a U-shaped configuration that defines a horizontally extending insert channel 63 having two opposing end openings 64a, 64b that face each other in the horizontal direction. The U-shaped insert also defines a horizontal longitudinal axis 65 that extends through the end openings 64a, 64b. The insert 57 is open at the top (or at least includes an upper opening).

[0041] The insert base 58 is sized with a width and length dimension such that the insertion portion 57 can be inserted into the storage container 52 through the upper opening 55 of the storage container 52. The insert base 58 is also preferably sized such that the width and length are similar to those of the container base 52. The insert side wall 60 preferably does not extend above the top of the storage container 51. The insert base 58 and side wall 60 may be substantially rigid and may be made of, for example, a metallic material. The insert base 58 may be made of or coated with a material that provides a low friction surface to enable an article to slide relatively easily across the surface of the insert base 58. For example, the coefficient of friction of a particular article sliding on the low friction surface of the insert base 58 may be lower than the coefficient of friction of the same article sliding on the container base 52.

[0042] Each of the insert side walls 60 includes a handle 61 that extends horizontally outwardly (i.e., away from the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63). The insert 57 can be lifted out of or lowered into the storage container 51 by engaging the handle 61 and lifting or lowering the insert 57 relative to the storage container 51, respectively. Each handle 61 includes one or more handle recesses 62 that extend vertically upward from the bottom surface of the handle 61 to receive corresponding protrusions of a lifting device 74 (described below). The recesses 62 are shown as extending vertically through the handle 61 completely, but alternatively may extend vertically through only a portion of the handle 61.

[0043] When the insert 57 is nested within the storage container 51, the insert handle 61 projects horizontally into the space within the container side wall 53 defined by a notch 55 that extends downwardly from the upper portion of the container side wall 53. In this way, the handle 61 does not occupy the volumetric storage space within the storage container 51 or the insert channel 63, and thus the insert channel 63 can be made larger to hold more or larger articles. The handle 61 preferably does not project horizontally beyond the outer surface of the container side wall 53.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3B, the lower side of the insert base 58 includes a plurality of ribs 59 extending across the lower side of the insert base 58 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 to help strengthen and reinforce the insert base 58.

[0045] In use, the articles stored in the container unit 50 are held within the insert 57 rather than directly in the storage container 51. Thus, when the insert 57 is lifted out of the storage container 51, any articles stored in the container unit 50 are also lifted with the insert 57.

[0046] FIG. 4A shows a variant of the container unit 50 having an insert 57 nested within the storage container 51, and FIG. 4B shows the insert 57 in a position vertically above the storage container 51. In this variant, the insert side wall 60 is continuous with the container side wall 53 to define the outer side wall of the container unit 50. Specifically, the storage container 51 includes two higher opposing container side walls 53 arranged in a rectangular shape to define two opposing container side openings 53a, and two lower opposing container side walls 53b. The insert base 58 and the lower portion 53b of the insert side wall 60 are dimensioned and configured to be nested within the storage container 51. However, the upper portion 60a of each insert side wall 60 extends horizontally outwardly with respect to the lower portion 60b such that when the insert 57 is nested within the storage container 51, each upper portion 60a occupies its respective side opening 53a. In this way, the insert side wall 60 and the container side walls 53, 53b form a continuous structure (i.e., the outer side wall of the container unit 50) when the insert 57 is nested within the storage container 51.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4B, a portion of the outer surface of the insert side wall 60 may be recessed inwardly to form a handle 61 (i.e., a horizontally protruding portion) that can be engaged to vertically move the insert 57 into and out of the storage container 51.

[0048] One advantage of this variant is that since the storage container 51 comprises less material, the entire container unit 50 can be made lighter and less expensive compared to the container unit 50 described above in connection with FIG. 1. In this variant, the bottom of the insert 57 is still nested within the storage container 51, which helps prevent the insert 57 from sliding out of or slipping from the storage container 51 in the horizontal direction. To further prevent unwanted relative movement between the insert 57 and the storage container 51 and to stabilize the structure of the container unit 50, the insert sidewall 60 is configured to connect the container sidewall 53, which is vertically higher at the vertical edges (between the corners) of the container unit 50. In the example shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, each vertical edge of the insert sidewall 60 comprises a downwardly extending protrusion 60c that is received in a corresponding recess or notch 53c at each vertical edge of the container sidewall 53, such that the insert sidewall 60 and the container sidewall 53 are connected at the vertical edges of the container unit 50.

[0049] Article transfer station FIG. 5 shows a part of an article transfer station 68 that operates with the container unit 50 to load and / or unload articles from the container unit 50 by transferring the articles onto and / or from the insert 57.

[0050] The article transfer station 68 includes a lifting device 74. The lifting device 74 may include a frame or other mounting surface for attaching components, but these are not shown in the figures for clarity. The lifting device 74 is configured to receive the container unit 50 at the bottom 75 of the lifting device 74. In this example, the container unit 50 arrives at the lifting device 74 via the incoming container conveyor 70 and leaves the lifting device 74 via the outgoing container conveyor 72. The incoming container conveyor 70 and the outgoing container conveyor 72 are joined to form a continuous path passing through the bottom 75 of the lifting device 74. The container units 50 are arranged on the incoming container conveyor 70 such that each container unit 50 arrives at the bottom 75 of the lifting device 74 with the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 oriented in the same direction.

[0051] When the container unit 50 stops at the bottom 75 of the lifting device 74, the lifting device 74 is configured to lift the insert 57 from the storage container 51 to the raised position 66. FIG. 6 shows the insert 57 after it has been lifted to the raised position 66. The lifting device 74 includes a pair of opposing lifting members 76 located on both sides of the container unit 50 where the insert handle 61 is located. Each lifting member 76 includes an engaging portion extending horizontally and having an upwardly extending convex portion (not shown) configured to be received in the recess 62 of the insert handle 61 when the lifting member 76 engages the insert handle 61 from below. Each lifting member 76 is configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the storage container 51. For example, each lifting member 76 may be movable along one or more vertical rails (not shown) using known means such as belt drive. Each lifting member 76 is also configured to move horizontally towards and away from the container unit (e.g., using a linear actuator).

[0052] To lift the insert 57 out of the storage container 51, the lifting member 76 is moved to a vertical position below the insert handle 61. Then, the lifting member 76 is horizontally moved towards the container unit 50 until it is directly below the container insert handle 61. Then, the lifting member 76 is moved upward, whereby the lifting member 76 is engaged with the insert handle 61 from below, and the lifting member protrusion is received within the insert handle recess 62. Then, the lifting member 76 can be further moved upward to lift the insert 57 from the storage container 51 to a raised position 66 where the insert base 58 is above the upper part of the storage container 51. To lower the insert 57 to return it into the storage container 51, the lifting member 76 is moved downward until the insert 57 is returned into the storage container 51 and nested. Then, the lifting member 76 is further moved downward to disengage from the insert handle 61, and then horizontally moved away from the container unit 50. Then, the container unit 50 can leave the lifting device 74 via the outbound container conveyor 86.

[0053] The article transfer station 68 further comprises an article moving device 78 for transferring articles onto and / or from the insert 57 through the end openings 64a, 64b when the insert 57 is in the raised position 66. The article moving device 78 is configured to apply a horizontal force to the articles in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel to horizontally move the articles onto and / or from the insert 57.

[0054] Figures 7A - 7B show a first article moving device 78X that can push an article out from the insert base 58 when the insert 57 is at the raised position 66. The first article moving device 78 can be mounted on a platform or frame or any other suitable mounting surface. The article transfer station includes a shipping article conveyor 86 that receives an article pushed out from the insert base 58 and transports the article away from the lifting device 74. As shown in Figure 7A, the first article moving device 78X includes a pressing member in the form of a vertically oriented pressing plate 80 with the pressing surface oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63. The pressing plate 80 is linearly movable horizontally (e.g., using a linear actuator) in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel. The pressing plate 80 is positioned adjacent to the first end opening 64 of the insert channel 63 at substantially the same height as the raised position 66 of the insert 57. As shown in Figures 7B and 7C, the pressing plate 80 is moved horizontally through the insert channel 63 via the first end opening 64a to push any article on the insert base 58 out of the insert channel 63 via the opposing second end opening 64b. The shipping article conveyor 86 is positioned on the same side as the second end opening 64b of the insert 57 so that any article pushed out from the insert 57 via the second end opening 64b is received by the shipping article conveyor 86.

[0055] Figures 8A - 8F show a second article moving device 78Y that can push an article onto and / or out from the insert base 58 when the insert 76 is at the raised position 66. In this example, the article is transported to the lifting device 74 via the incoming article conveyor 84 and conveyed away from the lifting device via the shipping article conveyor 86 associated with the raised position 66 of the insert 57. The incoming article conveyor 84 is configured to transport the article to the first end opening 64a of the insert channel 63, and the shipping article conveyor 86 is configured to receive the article from the opposing second end opening 64b of the insert channel 63.

[0056] The second article moving device 78Y includes a pair of vertically oriented pressing plates 80 that face each other on both sides of the incoming article conveyor 84 near the first end opening 64a. The second article moving device 78Y may be attached to a frame or any other suitable mounting surface. Each pressing plate 80 is pivotally attached to a support member 82 so as to rotate about a vertical pivot axis, for example using a rotary actuator. The pressing plates 80 are rotatable about their respective pivot axes between an open position in which the pressing plates 80 are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 and a closed position in which the pressing plates 80 are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63. In the open position, the pressing plates 80 are spaced far enough laterally apart to allow articles on the incoming article conveyor 84 to pass between them. To move to the closed position, the pressing plates 80 are rotated inwardly towards each other (towards the longitudinal axis of the insert channel). In the closed position, the pressing plates 80 block the path of the articles transported by the incoming article conveyor 84. The pressing plates 80 are further linearly movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 (for example, using a linear actuator) so that the pressing plates 80 can be moved through the insert channel 63 via the first end opening 64a. The pressing plates 80 can also be moved in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63, towards and away from each other, which may be required if the distance between the pressing plates 80 needs to be reduced for the pressing plates 80 to fit within the insert channel 63. For example, the second article moving device 78Y may include a linear actuator for selectively moving the pressing plates towards and away from each other, or the pressing plates 80 may be mounted on rails for movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel, where the rails are configured to move closer to each other towards the insert 57.

[0057] The article transfer station 68 optionally further includes a pair of alignment members 73 facing each other on both sides of the incoming article conveyor 84 near the first end opening 64a. The alignment members 73 are movable toward each other in a horizontal direction (e.g., using a linear actuator) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 so that any article located between the alignment members 73 is centered on the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63. This helps to ensure that the article is in the correct position relative to the insert channel 63 in order to enable the article to be pushed onto the insert base 58 through the first end opening 64a by the pressing plate 80.

[0058] In use, the first article 96a can be transferred from the insert base 58 when the insert 57 is in the raised position 66 by rotating the pressing plate 80 to the closed position (FIG. 8B) so that the first article 96a is pushed out from the insert base 58 onto the outgoing article conveyor 86 through the second end opening 64b (FIG. 8C) and moving the pressing plate 80 through the insert channel 63 via the first end opening 64a.

[0059] While the insert 57 remains in the raised position 66, the second article 96b is transferred to a position adjacent to the first end opening 64a, the pressing plate 80 is rotated back to the open position, the pressing plate 80 is moved back to a position behind the second article 96b, and the alignment members are moved toward each other to arrange the second article 96b centered on the longitudinal axis. Then, the second article 96b can be transferred from the incoming article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58 (FIG. 8D). Then, the pressing plate 80 can be rotated to the closed position to push the second article 96b onto the insert base 58 and moved through the insert channel 63 via the first end opening 64a (FIG. 8E).

[0060] After the article transfer operation is completed, the insert 57 is lowered so as to be returned into the storage container 51, and the container unit 50 is transported away from the lifting device 74 via the outbound container conveyor 86 (FIG. 8F). Next, a new container unit 50 can arrive at the lifting device 74 to repeat the process.

[0061] When the container unit 50 remains empty when the second article transfer device 78Y leaves the lifting device 74, after the article is transferred from the insert 57, there is no need to transfer a new article onto the insert 57. Similarly, when the container unit 50 is empty when it arrives at the lifting device 74, the second article transfer device 78Y can be used to simply transfer the article onto the insert 57Y.

[0062] Figs. 9A - 9D show a third article transfer device 78Z that can push an article onto the insert base 58 and / or push an article from the insert base 58 when the insert 57 is in the raised position 66. The third article transfer device 78Z is mounted above the inbound article conveyor 84, for example on a frame (not shown) or any other suitable mounting surface. The third article transfer device 78Z comprises a support member 82 pivotally attached at one end to a support member 82 such that the first pressing plate 80 rotates about a first horizontal pivot axis, and the second pressing plate 81 rotates about a second horizontal pivot axis. The first pressing plate 80 and the second pressing plate 81 are pivotally attached to opposite ends of the support member 82. The first pressing plate 80 and the second pressing plate 81 are rotatable downward about their respective pivot axes so as to go from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation and back again. The first and second pressing plates 80, 81 may be mechanically connected to a single rotary actuator so that they rotate simultaneously, or each pressing plate 80, 81 may comprise its own rotary actuator so that the first and second pressing plates 80, 81 can rotate independently.

[0063] The third article moving device 78Z is configured such that the pivot axes of the first pressing plate 80 and the second pressing plate 81 are aligned parallel to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63. The first and second pressing plates 80, 81 are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the insert channel with the first pressing plate 80 positioned closer to the first end opening 64a of the insert channel 63 than the second pressing plate 81.

[0064] In the horizontal orientation, the first pressing plate 80 and the second pressing plate 81 are oriented parallel to the conveying surface 85 of the incoming article conveyor 84 and are provided high enough above the conveying surface 85 so as not to block the articles conveyed by the incoming article conveyor 84. In the vertical orientation, the first pressing plate 80 and the second pressing plate 81 are oriented perpendicular to the conveying surface 85 of the incoming article conveyor 84 so as to block the path of the articles being conveyed by the incoming article conveyor 84. However, the space between the first pressing plate 80 and the second pressing plate 81 in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 is large enough so that the articles conveyed by the incoming article conveyor can be received between the first pressing plate 80 and the second pressing plate 81.

[0065] The support member 82 is movable horizontally (e.g., using a linear actuator) in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 to such an extent that the first pressing plate 80 can be moved through the insert channel 63 via the first end opening 64a in order to push any article on the insert base 58 out of the insert channel 63 via the second end opening 64b.

[0066] In use, the first and second pressing plates 80, 81 are first oriented horizontally, and the insert 57 of the container unit 50 in the lifting device 74 is lifted to the raised position 66 (FIG. 9A). The insert 57 may already hold the first article 96a. The incoming article conveyor 84 conveys the second article 96b towards the insert 57 until the second article 96b is positioned between the pivot axis of the first pressing plate 80 and the pivot axis of the second pressing plate 81. Then, the first and second pressing plates 80, 81 are rotated downward to a vertical orientation (FIG. 9B). Then, the first and second pressing plates 80, 81 are horizontally moved through the insert channel 63 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 such that the first pressing plate 80 pushes the first article 96a from the insert base 63 onto the outgoing article conveyor 86 through the second end opening 64b, and at the same time, the second pressing plate 81 pushes the second article 96b from the incoming article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58 through the first end opening 64a (FIGS. 9C-9D). Then, the insert 57 is lowered to return into the storage container 51, the container unit 50 is transported away from the lifting device 74 by the outgoing container conveyor 72, and the first and second pressing plates 80, 81 are rotated to return to the horizontal orientation. Then, this process can be repeated with a new container unit 50 and new articles arriving at the lifting device 74 via the incoming article conveyor 84.

[0067] Similar to the article transfer station 68 shown in FIGS. 8A-8F, the article transfer station 68 in this example can also include a pair of alignment members 73 for centering the article on the incoming article conveyor 84 about the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63. The alignment members 73 may be actuated before or during the second pressing plate 81 pushing the article from the incoming article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58.

[0068] It can be understood that the third article transfer device 78Z is capable of transferring a first article from the insert 57 and transferring a second article onto the insert 57 substantially simultaneously. However, the third article transfer device 78Z can also be used to perform only one of these operations for a particular container unit 50. For example, if the insert 57 is already empty when its container unit 50 arrives at the lifting device 74, the third article transfer device 78Z can be used to simply transfer an article onto the insert 57, or if the insert 57 already contains an article but no new article needs to be loaded, the third article transfer device 78Z can be used to simply transfer the article from the insert 57. In these cases, only one of the first and second pressing plates 80, 81 needs to be rotated vertically as required.

[0069] The article transfer device 78 of the present invention is not intended to be limited to the exact form of the above examples. Modifications of the above exemplary article transfer devices, or other article transfer devices for horizontally moving articles onto and from an insert through an end opening, will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Some examples of modifications are described below.

[0070] The pressing member 80 of the article transfer device 78 need not be in the form of a plate as long as they have a pressing surface suitable for pushing the article in the horizontal direction.

[0071] Instead of the second article transfer device 78Y having a pair of pressing plates 80, the second article transfer device can have only one pressing plate 80 located on one side of the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63. In this variant, the single pressing plate is wide enough to be able to engage the article sufficiently to push the article when the pressing plate 80 is rotated to the closed position and when the pressing plate 80 is moved towards the insert 57.

[0072] The second article transfer device 78Y may be modified to enable, in a manner similar to the third article transfer device 78Z, the transfer of the first article from the insert base 58 and the transfer of the second article onto the insert base 58 simultaneously. For example, the second article transfer device 78Y can include a second pair of pressing plates spaced apart from the first pair of pressing plates in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel. This modified configuration is substantially equivalent to duplicating the third article transfer device and rotating the duplicate 90 degrees in the opposite direction about the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63. The two pairs of pressing plates are arranged far enough apart in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 such that an article conveyed by the incoming article conveyor 84 can fit between the pivot axes of the two pairs of pressing plates. Thus, when the first and second pairs of pressing plates are rotated to the closed position and moved towards the insert channel 63, the first pair of pressing plates enters the insert channel 63 to push the first article from the insert base 58 onto the outgoing article conveyor through the second end opening 64b, and the second pair of pressing plates pushes the second article from the incoming article conveyor 86 onto the insert base 58 through the first end opening 64a. This variant of the second article transfer device 78Y can also be modified such that one pressing plate is removed from each of the first pair of pressing plates and the second pair of pressing plates such that only one pressing plate is used to push the article out from the insert base 58 and only one pressing plate is used to push the article out from the incoming article conveyor 84. These pressing plates may be arranged on the same side of the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 or on opposite sides.

[0073] The third article transfer device 78Z may be modified to remove either the first pressing plate 80 or the second pressing plate 81 such that it operates in the same manner as the second article transfer device 78Y, i.e., the transfer of articles from and onto the insert 57 is carried out as a continuous operation.

[0074] The third article moving device 78Z does not necessarily require a support member 82 that connects the two pressing plates 80, 81. Instead, each of the pressing plates 80, 81 may be independently attached to a linear actuator so that the linear motion of each of the pressing plates 80, 81 can be controlled separately.

[0075] Instead of the article moving device 78 being located on the same side of the incoming article conveyor 84 and the insert 57, the article moving device 78 may be located on the same side of the outgoing article conveyor 86 and the insert 57. The article moving device 78 can also be part of the lifting device 74. For example, when the insert 57 is lifted to the raised position 66, the article moving device 78 may be attached to the lifting device 74 above the lifting member, either together with the insert 57 or independently of the insert 57, so that the article moving device 78 is at a height suitable for performing the operation of moving the article, and the lifting device 74 may be configured to vertically lift the article moving device 78.

[0076] To enable the transfer of an article onto or from the insert base 58 by applying only a horizontal force to the article, the incoming article conveyor 84 (more specifically, the conveying surface 85 of the incoming article conveyor 84) should be substantially at or above the height of the insert base 58 when the insert 57 is at the raised position 66, and the outgoing article conveyor 86 (more specifically, the conveying surface of the outgoing article conveyor 86) should be substantially at or below the height of the insert base 58 when the insert 57 is at the raised position 66.

[0077] Figures 10 and 11A - 11F show an example of an article transfer station 68 that enables a plurality of articles to be transferred from an incoming article conveyor into the same insert 57 within a plurality of layers, i.e., enables the articles to be vertically stacked within the insert 57. In this example, in addition to the raised position 66, the lifting device 74 is also configured to vertically move the insert 57 to a stacking position 67 that is lower than the raised position 66. The article transfer station 68 further includes a stacking mechanism that includes a stacking plate 89 located at an end of the incoming article conveyor 84 adjacent to one of the end openings 64a. The stacking plate 89 is oriented parallel to the insert base 58. The stacking plate 89 is horizontally movable (e.g., using a linear actuator) in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 65 of the insert channel 63 between a retracted position where the insert 57 extends into the insert channel through the first end opening 64a (when the insert 57 is at the stacking position 67) and an extended position. For clarity, although not shown in Figures 10 and 11A - 11F, any article moving device 78 suitable for horizontally moving articles, such as those described above, may be used in this example.

[0078] In use, the insert 57 from the container unit 50 in the lifting device 74 is lifted to the raised position 66 (FIG. 11A). An article moving device 78 (not shown) horizontally pushes a first article 96a from the incoming article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58 (FIG. 11B). Next, the lifting device 74 lowers the insert 57 to the stacking position 67, and a second article 96b is transported onto the stacking plate 89 (FIG. 11C). Next, the stacking plate 89 is moved to an extended position such that the stacking plate 89 extends over the top of the first article 96a (FIG. 11D). Next, the stacking plate 89 is retracted so that the second article 96b remains positioned over the top of the first article 96a (FIG. 11E). As the stacking plate 89 is retracted, the article moving device 78 can hold the second article 96b in place at a predetermined position after pressing the second article 96b against the stacking plate 89 to prevent the second article 96b from moving horizontally with the stacking plate 89. Next, the insert 57 is lowered back into the storage container 51, and the container unit 50 leaves the lifting device 74 via the outgoing container conveyor 72 (FIG. 11F).

[0079] To stack articles in more than three layers, if there is sufficient vertical space within the insert 57 to continue stacking articles, the above process can be repeated by moving the insert 57 using multiple stacking positions 67.

[0080] The article transfer station 68 of the present invention is also not limited to transferring articles only to and from the insert at a single elevated position 66. The lifting device 68 may be configured to lift the insert 57 to any one of a plurality of elevated positions 66. For each elevated position 66, the article may be transferred onto and / or from the insert 57 as needed. For example, each elevated position 66 may have an associated incoming article conveyor 84 and / or an associated outgoing article conveyor 86. The incoming article conveyors 84 may all be arranged on the same side or on different sides of the insert 57 depending on the flow of articles across the wider overall system. Similarly, the outgoing article conveyors 86 may all be arranged on the same side or on different sides of the insert 57 depending on the flow of articles across the wider overall system. Each elevated position 66 may also have an associated article moving device 78, or the article transfer station 68 may include a single article moving device 78 that moves up and down with the insert 57 (e.g., it may be mounted above the lifting member 76 such that the lifting member 76 and the article moving device 78 move vertically together, or the article moving device 78 may be configured to move vertically independently of the lifting member 76). One or more of the elevated positions 66 may also have an associated stacking mechanism as described above for vertically stacking articles in multiple layers on the insert 57. Articles transferred onto the insert 57 at one elevated position may be stacked with articles transferred onto the insert 57 at another elevated position. Depending on what articles need to be transferred to or from the insert 57, the insert 57 may be lifted to one or more elevated positions 66 for one or more article transfer operations before being lowered back into the storage container 51.

[0081] The article transfer station of the above example uses a conveyor to transport articles and container units to and from the article transfer station, but alternative means of transport may be used instead. For example, a vehicle, such as an automated vehicle, may transport articles and / or container units to and from the article transfer station. The article moving device 78 may move articles directly from the vehicle onto the insert base 58, and vice versa, or the vehicle may place the articles on a holding shelf from where the articles are moved onto the insert base 58, and vice versa. Storage and retrieval system The container unit 50 and the article transfer station 68 can be used within a storage and retrieval system in which the container unit 50 is used to store products sold to customers. The product 96 may be stored directly within the container unit 50 (on the insert 57), or the product 96 may be housed within a product sub-container 97 that is stored within the container unit 50 (on the insert 57). The product sub-container 97 is similar to the storage container 51 in that it comprises a base and side walls that define an upper opening, but the product sub-container 97 is smaller than the storage container 51 to allow the product sub-container 97 to fit inside the storage container 51 (on the insert 57). The container unit 50 may be stored within a storage area, such as a grid storage structure, an example of which will be described later.

[0082] To respond to a customer order, a container unit 50 containing the ordered product 96 can be retrieved from the storage area and transported to a pickup station. At the pickup station, the ordered product 96 is picked up from the container unit 50 and placed into a delivery sub-container 98 (e.g., by a human or robotic arm). When all of the ordered product 96 has been withdrawn into the delivery sub-container 98, the delivery sub-container 98 can leave the storage and retrieval system for delivery to the customer (e.g., by a delivery vehicle). For reasons of operational efficiency, a delivery sub-container 98 containing a completed order may not be sent to the customer immediately. Instead, the delivery sub-container 98 may be stored within a container unit 50 within the storage area. The delivery sub-container 98 is similar to the storage container 51 in that they comprise a base and sidewalls that define an upper opening, but the delivery sub-container 97 is smaller than the storage container 51 to allow the delivery sub-container 98 to fit inside the storage container 51 (on the insert 57).

[0083] Accordingly, the container unit 50 within the storage and retrieval system may be empty (i.e., the storage container 51 has the insert 57 but no other articles), or may contain multiple types of articles including, but not limited to, the product 96, the product sub-container 97, and the shipping sub-container 98. The product sub-container 97 may contain the product 96, or may be empty if all of the product 96 within the product sub-container 97 has been picked up to fulfill a customer order. The shipping sub-container 98 may be "empty" (as defined to not contain the ordered product 96 but may include a shipping package (e.g., a shopping bag) in which the order is placed), or may contain the ordered product 96. The container unit 50 may also contain "garbage", e.g., a portion of the product packaging or other debris left within the container unit 50 after all of the product 96 within the container unit 50 has been picked up. Garbage articles are not desirable to remain within the container unit 50 as they may interfere with storage capacity and product pick-up, and thus, garbage articles are typically removed before the container unit 50 is refilled with new articles.

[0084] One or more article transfer stations 68 may be used to transfer these articles into and / or out of the container unit 50 within the storage and retrieval system. The storage and retrieval system may comprise a means of transport, e.g., a conveyor, for transporting articles and the container unit 50 between one or more article transfer stations 68, the storage area, and other areas of the system.

[0085] Figures 12 through 17 illustrate several ways in which an article transfer station 68 may be used in the context of the storage and retrieval system described above. In the following examples, for clarity of improvement, none of the figures show the article moving device 78. However, any suitable article moving device 78 for horizontally moving articles, such as those already described above, may be used.

[0086] FIG. 12 shows a first example of an article transfer station 68 configured to operate as a filling station for loading product 96 and / or product sub-container 97 containing product 96 into container unit 50.

[0087] The first article transfer station 68 includes an incoming article conveyor 84 associated with the raised position 66 of the insert 57. The incoming article conveyor 84 is configured to transport product 96 and product sub-container 97 to one of the end openings 64a of the insert channel 63. When the insert 57 is lifted to the raised position 66, an article moving device 78 (not shown) horizontally pushes product 96 or product sub-container 97 from the incoming article conveyor 78 onto the insert base 58 through the end opening 64a. The insert 57 is then lowered to return into the storage container 51, and the container unit 50 is transported to the storage area via the outgoing container conveyor 72.

[0088] FIG. 13 shows a second example of an article transfer station 68 for removing trash (e.g., unwanted packaging and other unwanted debris) from container unit 50. The second transfer station can be used to clean container unit 50 before container unit 50 is reused within the system (e.g., the article is refilled).

[0089] The second article transfer station 68 includes a discharged article conveyor 86 associated with the raised position 66 of the insert 57. The discharged article conveyor 86 is configured to receive debris from one of the end openings 64b of the insert 57 and transport the debris away from the lifting device 74. When the insert 57 is lifted to the raised position 66, the article moving device 78 is horizontally moved through the insert channel such that any debris articles on the insert base 58 are horizontally pushed out from the insert base 58 through the end opening 64b onto the discharged article conveyor 86. The insert 57 is then lowered back into the storage container 51, and the now-cleaned container unit 50 can be transported to other areas of the storage and retrieval system via the discharged container conveyor 72.

[0090] The discharged article conveyor 86 may be fed into a central discharged article conveyor 88. The central discharged article conveyor 88 may be configured to receive debris from a plurality of discharged article conveyors 86 from a plurality of article transfer stations 68. This configuration of the central discharged article conveyor 88 receiving articles from a plurality of discharged article conveyors 86 from a plurality of article transfer stations 68 can be used for not only debris but also any type of article (e.g., product sub-container 97 and delivery sub-container 98). Similarly, the central received article conveyor can also be used to supply the received article conveyors 84 of a plurality of article transfer stations 68.

[0091] FIG. 14 shows a third example of an article transfer station 68 for removing two types of articles from the container unit, namely debris and an empty product sub-container 97. The third transfer station 68 can help empty the container unit 50 before the container unit 50 is reused within the system (e.g., the article is refilled).

[0092] The lifting device 74 is configured to lift the insert 57 of the container unit 50 to a first raised position 66a or a second raised position 66b higher than the first raised position 66a in response to an article transfer operation.

[0093] The third article transfer station 68 includes a first discharged article conveyor 86a associated with a first raised position 66a and a first article moving device 78a (not shown). The first discharged article conveyor 86a is configured to receive dust from one of the end openings 64b of the insert 57 and transport the dust away from the lifting device 74.

[0094] The third article transfer station 68 further includes a second discharged article conveyor 86b associated with a second raised position 66b and a second article moving device 78b (not shown). The second discharged article conveyor 86b is configured to receive the empty product sub-container 97 from one of the end openings 64b of the insert 57 and transport the empty product sub-container 97 away from the lifting device 74.

[0095] To remove dust from the container unit 50, the insert 57 is lifted to the first raised position 66a, and the first article moving device 78a pushes any dusty articles from the insert base 58 onto the first discharged article conveyor 86a through one of the end openings 64b.

[0096] To remove the empty product sub-container 97 from the container unit 50, the insert 57 is lifted to the second raised position 66b where the second article moving device 78b pushes the empty product sub-container 97 from the insert base 58 onto the second discharged article conveyor 86b through one of the end openings 64b.

[0097] Lifting the insert 57 of the container unit 50 to the first raised position 66a to perform the operation of removing dust may be executed by default when the container unit 50 does not contain an empty product sub-container.

[0098] After the insert 57 is emptied, the insert 57 is lowered to return into the storage container 51, and the now-empty container unit 50 can be transported to other areas of the storage and retrieval system via the outbound container conveyor 72.

[0099] FIG. 15 shows a fourth example of an article transfer station 68 for loading the product 96 and the product sub-container 97 into the container unit 50 and / or for removing the empty product sub-container 97 from the container unit 50. Instead of using a separate article transfer station 68 to empty the container unit 50 and load a new product 96, the fourth article transfer station 68 enables the container unit 50 to be emptied and then a new product 96 or product sub-container 97 to be loaded at the same article transfer station 68.

[0100] The fourth article transfer station 68 includes an inbound article conveyor 84, an outbound article conveyor 86, and an article moving device 78 associated with the raised position 66 of the insert 57.

[0101] The inbound article conveyor 84 is configured to transport the product 96 and the product sub-container 97 to the first end opening 64a of the insert channel 63. The outbound article conveyor 86 is configured to receive the empty product sub-container 97 from the second end opening 64b of the insert channel 63 and transport the empty product sub-container 97 away from the lifting device 74.

[0102] When the container unit 50 is received by the lifting device 74, the insert 57 is raised to the elevated position 66. If the insert 57 contains an empty product sub-container 97, the article transfer device 78 pushes the empty product sub-container 97 from the insert base 58 onto the outbound article conveyor 86 through the second end opening 64b. Then, the article transfer device 78 pushes a new product 96 or a product sub-container 97 from the inbound article conveyor 78 onto the insert base 58 through the first end opening 64a. Depending on the design of the article transfer device 78, these two article transfer operations may be performed substantially simultaneously.

[0103] After the insert 57 is loaded with a new product 96 or a product sub-container 97, the insert 57 is lowered to return into the storage container 51, and the now loaded container unit 50 can be transported to the storage area using the outbound container conveyor 72.

[0104] FIG. 16 shows a fifth example of an article transfer station 68 where a product 96 and / or a product sub-container 97 can be loaded into the container unit 50 and waste and / or an empty product sub-container 97 can be removed from the container unit 50. The fifth article transfer station 68 enables the container unit 50 to be emptied and then a new product 96 to be loaded at the same article transfer station 68, rather than using a separate article transfer station 68 to empty the container unit 50 and load a new product 96.

[0105] The fifth article transfer station 68 essentially corresponds to the third article transfer station 68, and is provided with a receiving article conveyor 84 associated with the second raised position 66b of the insert 57. The receiving article conveyor 84 is configured to transport the product 96 and the product sub-container 97 to the first end opening 64a of the insert channel 63. A second article moving device 78b (not shown) is further configured to push the product 96 or the product sub-container 97 from the receiving article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58. The first and second shipping article conveyors 86a, 86b are configured to receive the waste and the empty product sub-container 97 respectively from the second end opening 64b of the insert channel 63.

[0106] The container unit 5 arriving at the lifting device 74 via the receiving container conveyor 70 may be empty, may contain waste, or may contain an empty product sub-container 97. When the container unit 50 is received by the lifting device 74, the insert 57 is lifted to the first raised position 66a or the second raised position 66b according to the article transfer operation to be performed.

[0107] When an empty container unit 50 arrives at the lifting device 74, the insert 57 can be lifted to the second raised position 66b where the second article moving device 78 pushes the product 96 or the product sub-container 97 from the receiving article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58.

[0108] When a container unit 50 containing waste arrives at the lifting device, the insert 57 can be lifted to the first raised position 66a where the first article moving device 78a pushes the waste from the insert base 58 onto the first shipping article conveyor 84a. Then, the insert 57 can be lifted to the second raised position 66b where the second article moving device 78b pushes the product 96 or the product sub-container 97 from the receiving article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58.

[0109] When the container unit 50 containing the empty product sub-container 97 arrives at the lifting device 74, the insert 57 can be lifted to a second elevated position 66b where a second article transfer device 78b pushes the empty product sub-container 97 from the insert base 58 onto the second outbound article conveyor 86b. The second article transfer device 78b can then push a new product 96 or product sub-container 97 from the inbound article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58 (either simultaneously with or after pushing the empty product sub-container 97 from the insert base 58, depending on the design of the second article transfer device 86b).

[0110] Lifting the insert 57 of the container unit 50 to a first elevated position 66a to perform a dust removal operation may be executed by default when the container unit 50 does not contain an empty product sub-container.

[0111] After the article transfer operation is completed, the insert 57 is lowered back into the storage container 51, and the container unit 50 is transported away from the lifting device 74 to the storage area by the outbound container conveyor 72.

[0112] FIG. 17 shows a sixth article transfer station 68 where a delivery sub-container 98 can be loaded into and / or removed from the container unit 50.

[0113] As described above, the delivery sub-container 98 containing the picked-up customer order can be stored within the container unit 50 in the storage area until the delivery sub-container 98 is delivered to the customer. In the storage and retrieval system, the delivery sub-container 98 is separated from the storage container 51 before being loaded onto the delivery vehicle. Thus, the sixth article transfer station 68 operates to separate the delivery sub-container 98 from the storage container 51. The sixth article transfer station 68 also enables an empty container unit 50 to be filled / refilled with an empty delivery sub-container 98 in order to receive the picked-up customer order.

[0114] The sixth article transfer station 68 is currently configured such that the incoming article conveyor 84 conveys an empty delivery sub-container 98 to the first end opening 64a of the insert channel 63, and the outgoing article conveyor 84 is currently configured to receive the loaded delivery sub-containers from the second end opening 64b and transport them away from the lifting device 74. It is configured in essentially the same manner as the fourth article transfer station 68, except for the above.

[0115] When an empty container unit 50 arrives at the lifting device 74, the insert 57 is lifted to the raised position 66, and an article moving device 78 (not shown) pushes the empty delivery sub-container 98 from the incoming article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58 through the first end opening 64a.

[0116] When the container unit 50 arrives at the lifting device 74 and contains the loaded delivery sub-container 98, the insert 57 is lifted to the raised position 66, and the article moving device 78 pushes the delivery sub-container 98 out from the insert base 58 onto the outgoing article conveyor 86 through the second end opening 64b. Then, the separated delivery sub-container 98 can be transported, for example, to a vehicle loading area. When the container unit 50 is reused to hold a new delivery container 98, the article moving device 78 pushes the empty delivery sub-container 98 from the incoming article conveyor 84 onto the insert base 58 (this may be done simultaneously with pushing the delivery sub-container 98 out from the insert base 58, depending on the design of the article moving device as described above).

[0117] After the article transfer operation is completed, the insert 57 is lowered to return into the storage container 51, and the container unit 50 is transported away from the lifting device 74 by the outgoing container conveyor 72.

[0118] FIG. 18 shows a seventh article transfer station 68 where multiple types of articles can be loaded into and / or removed from the container unit 50. The seventh article transfer station 68 is configured to use a single article transfer station 68 to load the product 96, the loaded product sub-container 97, and the empty delivery sub-container 98 into the container unit 50, and to unload the waste, the empty product sub-container 97, and the loaded delivery sub-container 98 from the container unit 50.

[0119] The seventh article transfer station is essentially a combination of the first through sixth article transfer stations described above.

[0120] The lifting device 74 is configured to lift the insert 57 to any one of a first raised position 66a, a second raised position 66b higher than the first raised position 66a, and a third raised position 66c higher than the second raised position 66b according to the required article transfer operation.

[0121] The first raised position 66a is for removing dust. The seventh article transfer station 68 includes a first outgoing article conveyor 86a associated with the first raised position 66a for transporting dust away from the lifting device 74, and a first article moving device 78a associated with the first raised position 66a configured to push dust from the insert 57 onto the first outgoing article conveyor 86a.

[0122] The second raised position 66b is for loading the product 96 and the loaded product sub-container 97, and / or for unloading the empty product sub-container. The seventh article transfer station 68 further includes a second incoming article conveyor 84b (in this example, there is no "first" incoming article conveyor), a second outgoing article conveyor 86b, and a second article moving device 78b (not shown) associated with the second raised position 66b. The second incoming article conveyor 84b is configured to transport the product 96 and the loaded product sub-container 97 to the first end opening 64a of the insert channel 63, the second outgoing article conveyor 74b is configured to receive the empty product sub-container 97 from the second end opening 64b of the insert channel 63 and transport them away from the lifting device 74, and the second article moving device 78b is configured to push the product 96 and the product sub-container 97 from the second incoming article conveyor 84b onto the insert base 58 through the first end opening 64a, and to push the empty product sub-container 97 from the insert base 58 onto the second outgoing article conveyor 86b through the second end opening 64b.

[0123] The third raised position 66c is for loading and / or removing the delivery sub-container 98. The seventh article transfer station 68 further includes a third incoming article conveyor 84c, a third outgoing article conveyor 86c, and a third article moving device 78c (not shown) associated with the third raised position 66c. The third incoming article conveyor 84c is for transporting an empty delivery sub-container 98 to the first end opening 64 of the insert base 58, and the third outgoing article conveyor 86c is for receiving the loaded delivery sub-container 98 from the second end opening 64b of the insert base 58 and transporting them away from the lifting device 74. The third article moving device 78c is for pushing an empty delivery sub-container 97 from the third incoming article conveyor 84c onto the insert base 58 through the first end opening 64a, and for pushing the loaded delivery sub-container 97 from the insert base 58 onto the third outgoing article conveyor 86c through the second end opening 64b.

[0124] The container unit 50 arriving at the lifting device 74 via the incoming container conveyor 70 may be empty, or may contain garbage, an empty product sub-container 97, or a loaded delivery sub-container 98. When the container unit 50 arrives at the lifting device 74, the insert 57 is lifted to one or more of the first to third raised positions 66a - 66c according to the type of article to be transferred onto or from the insert 57. When all the article transfer operations are completed, the insert 57 is lowered back into the storage container 51, and the container unit 50 is transported away from the lifting device 74 by the outgoing container conveyor 72.

[0125] Therefore, the seventh article transfer station 68 provides a multi-functional article transfer station 68 that can be useful for a storage and retrieval system with limited warehouse space.

[0126] All of the incoming article conveyors 84b and 84c of the seventh article transfer station 68 are shown to be on one side of the insert channel 63, and all of the outgoing article conveyors 86a - 86c are shown to be on the other side of the insert channel 63, but this arrangement is not essential, and each incoming and outgoing article conveyor may be on either side depending on the flow or articles within the storage and retrieval system.

[0127] FIG. 19 shows an eighth article transfer station 68, where products contained in cardboard cases can be automatically removed from the cases and loaded into container units. This eliminates the need for a separation area of the storage and retrieval system where the cased products 99 are removed from the cases before being loaded onto the incoming article conveyor 84 for transport to the article transfer station 68.

[0128] The eighth article transfer station 68 includes a decasing platform 90, an incoming article conveyor 84, and an outgoing article conveyor 86 associated with an elevated position 66 of the insert 57. The incoming article conveyor 84 is configured to transport the cased product 99 to the decasing platform 90, and the outgoing article conveyor is configured to transport the waste (removed cases) away from the decasing platform.

[0129] The eighth article transfer station 68 further includes an article moving device 78 in the form of a Cartesian robot 92 having a suction end effector 93 (although other types of robots, such as articulated arms, and other end effectors can also be used to hold the cased product 99). The end effector 93 is mounted for movement on a gantry frame 91 extending over the decasing platform 90 such that the end effector 93 can move along three orthogonal axes (two horizontal axes and one vertical axis). The end effector 93 is also preferably rotatable about the vertical axis to provide a fourth degree of freedom.

[0130] The casing platform 90 further includes a cutting area 94 having one or more cutting blades protruding upward from the upper surface of the casing platform 90, one or more holes extending through the casing platform 90, and a suction area 95 including a suction pump or other suction means for drawing air downward through the holes to generate a suction force.

[0131] Figures 20A - 20E are a series of views showing the eighth article transfer station 68 in use. The cased product 99 arrives at the decasing platform 90 via the incoming article conveyor 84. The insert 57 of the container unit 50 in the lifting device 74 is lifted to the raised position 66. The Cartesian robot 92 picks up the cased product 99 from the incoming article conveyor 84 (Fig. 20A) and moves the cased product 99 (translationally and / or rotationally) relative to the cutting blade in the cutting area 94 such that the bottom 99a of the case of the cased product 99 is cut around the edge (Fig. 20B). Next, the Cartesian robot 92 slides the cased product 99 horizontally over the suction area 95 and slides it into the insert channel 63 through one of the end openings 64a. As the cased product 99 slides over the suction area 95, the suction force holds the cut bottom 99a of the cased product 99 such that the product 96, now with only the sides and top in the case, slides directly onto the insert base 58 (Fig. 20C). Next, the Cartesian robot 92 raises the end effector 93, thereby lifting the remaining part (top and sides) of the case 99b away from the product 96 and leaving the product 96 on the insert base 58 (Fig. 20D). Next, the Cartesian robot 92 can drop the removed case 99b onto the outgoing article conveyor 86 and pick up the bottom 99a of the case left on the suction area 95 and drop it onto the outgoing article conveyor 86 (Fig. 20E). Alternatively, for efficiency, a second end effector or another robot can be used to remove the bottom of the case 99a left on the suction area 95. Next, the insert 57 is lowered to return into the storage container 51, and the container unit 50 is transported away from the lifting device 74 via the outgoing container conveyor 72.

[0132] Instead of using the incoming goods conveyor 84 to transport the cased product 99 to the decasing platform 90, the Cartesian robot 92 can instead directly pick up the cased product 99 from a pallet located next to the decasing platform 90. The pallet may be transported to the decasing platform 90 by, for example, a forklift.

[0133] Thus, from the above example, it can be seen that the container unit 50 and the article transfer station 68 of the present invention enable an automated, flexible, multi-functional article transfer system in which one or more types of articles can be transferred into and / or out of the container unit 50. By lifting the insert 57 and moving the article only in the horizontal direction, the article can be transferred into or out of the insert 57, so there is no need to pick up and transport the article, and thus there is no need to consider how different types of articles (which may have different shapes, sizes, weights, compatibilities, vulnerable parts, etc.) need to be gripped or lifted by an automated system. Therefore, there is no need to provide dedicated equipment for picking up different types of articles respectively. Thus, the present invention provides a system for transferring different types of articles into and / or out of a storage container that is substantially independent of the type of article being transferred.

[0134] Storage Structure and Cargo Handling Device FIG. 21 shows an exemplary storage structure 1 that can be used within a storage area of a storage and retrieval system for storing container units 50. The storage structure 1 includes a framework having upright members 3 and horizontal members 5, 7 supported by the upright members 3. The horizontal members 5 extend parallel to each other and parallel to the illustrated x-axis. The horizontal members 7 extend parallel to each other and parallel to the illustrated y-axis, and extend laterally with respect to the horizontal members 5. The upright members 3 extend parallel to each other and parallel to the illustrated z-axis, and extend laterally with respect to the horizontal members 5, 7. The horizontal members 5, 7 form a grid pattern that defines a plurality of grid cells 14. In the illustrated example, the container units 50 are arranged as stacks 11 under the grid cells 14 defined by the grid pattern, with one stack 11 of container units 50 for each grid cell 14.

[0135] FIG. 22 shows an enlarged plan view of a portion of a track structure 13 that forms part of the storage structure 1 shown in FIG. 21 and is located above the horizontal members 5, 7 of the storage structure 1 shown in FIG. 21. The track structure 13 may be provided by the horizontal members 5, 7 themselves (e.g., formed within or on the surface of the horizontal members 5, 7) or by one or more additional components attached to the upper portion of the horizontal members 5, 7. The illustrated track structure 13 includes x-direction tracks 17 and y-direction tracks 19, i.e., a first set of tracks 17 extending in the x-direction and a second set of tracks 19 extending in the y-direction that cross the tracks 17 of the first set of tracks 17. The tracks 17, 19 define holes 15 at the centers of the grid cells 14. The holes 15 are sized to allow a container unit 50 located under the grid cell 14 to be lifted or lowered through the holes 15. The x-direction tracks 17 are provided in pairs separated by channels 21, and the y-direction tracks 19 are provided in pairs separated by channels 23. Other arrangements of the track structure may also be possible.

[0136] Figure 23 shows a plurality of load handling devices 25 moving above the storage structure 1 shown in Figure 21. Hereinafter, the load handling device 25, referred to as a "bot", comprises a set of wheels for engaging with corresponding x-direction or y-direction tracks 17, 19 in order to enable the bot 25 to move across the track structure 13 and reach a specific grid cell 14. The shown pairs of tracks 17, 19 separated by channels 21, 23 enable the bots 25 to occupy (or pass through each other) adjacent grid cells 14 without colliding with each other.

[0137] As shown in Figure 24, the bot 25 comprises a body 27 to which one or more components enabling the bot 25 to perform its intended functions are attached inside or on top. These functions may include moving across the storage structure 1 on the track structure 13, lifting or lowering a container unit 50 (e.g., from or to stack 11) so that the bot 25 can pick up or place the container unit 50 at specific positions defined by the grid pattern.

[0138] The shown bot 25 comprises a drive assembly attached to the body 27 of the bot 25 and comprising a first set and a second set of wheels 29, 31 enabling the bot 25 to move in the x-direction and y-direction along tracks 17 and 19, respectively. Specifically, two wheels 29 are provided on the short side of the bot 25 visible in Figure 24, and a further two wheels 29 are provided on the opposite short side of the bot 25. The wheels 29 engage with the track 17 and are rotatably attached to the body 27 of the bot 25, enabling the bot 25 to move along the track 17. Similarly, two wheels 31 are provided on the long side of the bot 25 visible in Figure 24, and a further two wheels 31 are provided on the opposite long side of the bot 25. The wheels 31 engage with the track 19 and are rotatably attached to the body 27 of the bot 25, enabling the bot 25 to move along the track 19.

[0139] To enable the bot 25 to move in first and second directions on different wheels 29, 31, the drive assembly further comprises a wheel positioning mechanism (not shown) for selectively engaging the first set of wheels 29 with the first set of tracks 17, or selectively engaging the second set of wheels 31 with the second set of tracks 19. The wheel positioning mechanism is configured to raise or lower the first set of wheels 29 and / or the second set of wheels 31 relative to the body 27, thereby enabling the load handling device 25 to selectively move in either the first or second direction across the tracks 17, 19 of the storage structure 1.

[0140] The wheel positioning mechanism can include one or more linear actuators, rotary components, or other means for raising or lowering at least one set of wheels 29, 31 relative to the body 27 of the bot 25, and for moving at least one set of wheels 29, 31 away from and into contact with the tracks 17, 19. In some examples, only one set of wheels is configured to be raised or lowered, and the act of lowering one set of wheels can effectively raise the other set of wheels away from the corresponding track, while the act of raising one set of wheels can effectively lower the other set of wheels into contact with the corresponding track. In other examples, both sets of wheels may be raised or lowered, and advantageously, the body 27 of the bot 25 remains substantially at the same height, meaning that the weight of the body 27 and the components attached thereto need not be lifted or lowered by the wheel positioning mechanism.

[0141] The bot 25 also includes a lift mechanism 33 configured to raise and lower the container unit 50 and a container holding device 37. The illustrated lift mechanism 33 includes four tethers 35 connected to the container holding device 37 at its lower end. The tethers 35 may be in the form of cables, ropes, tapes, or any other form of tether having the physical characteristics necessary to lift the container 9. The container holding device 37 includes a gripping mechanism 39 configured to engage with features of the storage container 51 of the container unit 50 and releasably hold the container unit 50 from above. In the illustrated example, the gripping mechanism 39 includes legs that can be received in corresponding holes 10 in the rim of the storage container 51 of the container unit 50 and then moved outwardly to engage with the lower surface of the rim of the storage container 51. The tethers 35 can be wound up or down to raise or lower the container holding device 37 as needed. One or more motors and winches or other means may be provided to achieve or control the winding up or down of the tethers 35.

[0142] In FIG. 25, to enable viewing the interior of the bot 25, the side panel of the bot 25 is omitted from the figure. The shown body 27 of the bot 25 has an upper portion 41 and a lower portion 43. The upper portion 41 is configured to store or support one or more operating components (not shown), such as components of the lifting mechanism 33 (e.g., a motor), wireless communication components, and one or more processors for controlling the operation of the bot 25. The lower portion 43 is disposed below the upper portion 41. The lower portion 43 defines a container receiving space 45 that opens to the outside at the bottom and is configured to receive at least a portion of the container unit 50 lifted within the container receiving space 45 by the lifting mechanism 33. The container receiving space 45 is sized such that a sufficient number of container units 50 fit inside the space 45 and the bot 25 can move across the track structure 13 at the upper part of the storage structure 1 without the lower side of the container unit 50 getting caught on the track structure 13 or another part of the storage structure 1. When the bot 25 reaches its intended destination, the lifting mechanism 33 controls the tether 35 to lower the container holding device 37 and the corresponding container unit 50 out of the space 45 and down to the intended position. The intended position may be the stack 11 of container units 50 or the exit point of the storage structure 1 (or, if the bot 25 moved to collect container units for storage within the storage structure 1, the entry point of the storage structure 1). In the illustrated example, the upper portion 41 and the lower portion 43 are separated by a physical partition, but in other examples, the upper portion 41 and the lower portion 43 may not be physically divided by a specific component or part of the body 27 of the bot 25. The upper and lower configurations of the bot 25 enable the bot 25 to occupy only a single grid cell 14 on the track structure 13 of the storage structure 1.

[0143] In the alternative example, the container receiving space 45 of the bot 25 may not be within the main body 27 of the bot 25. For example, the container receiving space 45 may instead be adjacent to the main body 27 of the bot 25 in a cantilever configuration having, for example, the weight of the main body 27 of the bot 25 that cancels out the weight of the container unit 50 to be lifted. In such an embodiment, the frame or arm of the lifting mechanism 33 may project horizontally from the main body 27 of the bot 25, and the tethers 35 may be disposed at respective positions on the projecting frame / arm and configured to be lifted or lowered from those positions to lift or lower the container within the container receiving space 45 adjacent to the main body 27.

[0144] The storage structure 1 can be connected to one or more article transfer stations 68 of the present invention via the incoming and outgoing container conveyors 70, 72. FIG. 26 shows an example where the storage structure 1 includes an access column 9 and an exit column 10 that are respectively located under each grid cell. The incoming container conveyor 70 of the article transfer station 68 is disposed between the bottom of the exit column 10 and the lifting device 74, and can transport the container unit 50 lowered by the bot 25 in the exit column 10 to the lifting device 74 via the incoming container conveyor 70. Similarly, the outgoing container conveyor 72 of the article transfer station 68 is disposed between the bottom of the access column 9 and the lifting device 74, and can directly transport the container unit 50 exiting the lifting device 74 to the access column. When the container unit 50 is located at the bottom of the access column, it can be picked up by the bot 25 to enter the storage structure 1. As an alternative to using the bot 25 to pick up and lower the container unit 20 through the entire access column 9 and through the exit column 10, the access column 9 and the exit column 10 can each include a container lift for lifting and lowering the container unit 50 within the access column 9 and the exit column 10. The container lift can lower the container unit 50 at least in part of the path from the exit column 10 to the incoming container conveyor 70, and can lift the container unit 50 at least in part of the path from the outgoing container conveyor 72 to the access column 9.

[0145] The storage and retrieval system can further include a central control system configured to direct the movement of bots 25 and container units 50 within the storage and retrieval system and to track the contents of each container unit 50. Each container unit 50, product sub-container 97, and delivery sub-container 98 may have a unique identifier (e.g., barcode or RFID tag), and the product 96 may be classified into stock keeping units (SKUs) with unique identifiers (e.g., barcode or RFID tag). When articles and container units 50 enter and exit the storage and retrieval system, by scanning the identifiers of the articles and container units 50 and by tracking where the container units 50 and articles are transported (e.g., in a database), the control system can direct a particular container unit 50 to a particular article transfer station 68 to perform a particular article transfer operation. Further, in the case of a multi-functional article transfer station 68 that uses multiple elevated positions 66 for transferring multiple types of articles, the control system can direct a lifting device 74 to lift an insert to a particular elevated position 66 and activate a particular article moving device 78, depending on the existing or intended contents of the container unit 50.

[0146] The present invention is not limited to the exact forms described above, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An article transfer system, comprising: a container unit, wherein the container unit includes: a storage container having an upper opening; an insert configured to be nested within the storage container, the insert including an insert base and a pair of opposed insert sidewalls extending upwardly from the insert base so as to define an insert channel having a pair of end openings facing each other horizontally to allow articles to horizontally enter and exit the insert channel; an article transfer station, wherein the article transfer station includes: a lifting device configured to vertically move the insert from the storage container to a raised position where the insert base is above the storage container and to vertically move the insert back into the storage container from the raised position; an article moving device configured to horizontally move articles onto and / or from the insert base through the end openings when the insert is in the raised position; The article transfer system comprising the above components.

2. The article transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the article transfer station is configured to engage with the insert sidewalls to vertically move the insert into and out of the storage container.

3. The article transfer system according to claim 2, wherein each of the insert sidewalls includes a horizontally extending handle, and the lifting device is configured to engage with the handle to vertically move the insert into and out of the storage container.

4. The article transfer system according to claim 3, wherein the handle of the insert extends outwardly, the storage container includes a pair of opposed container sidewalls, each container sidewall includes a notch extending downwardly from the upper surface of the container sidewall, and the notch is configured such that when the insert is nested within the storage container, each handle projects into the space defined by each notch.

5. The storage container includes container side walls arranged to define two opposing side openings, and at least a portion of each insert side wall occupies the respective side opening such that the insert side wall and the container side wall form a substantially continuous structure. The article transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The insert side wall is configured to connect the container side wall in a vertical direction when the insert is nested within the storage container. The article transfer system according to claim 5.

7. The article moving device includes one or more pressing members configured to move in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis extending through the end opening of the insert channel for horizontally pushing an article onto and / or from the insert base through one of the end openings. The article transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The article moving device includes a first pressing member and a second pressing member spaced apart from the first pressing member in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel. The first pressing member and the second pressing member are configured to move in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insert channel to horizontally push a first article onto the insert base and a second article from the insert base substantially simultaneously. The article transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The article transfer station further includes an incoming article conveyor associated with the raised position of the insert. The incoming article conveyor is configured to transport an article to the lifting device. Here, the article moving device is configured to horizontally move the article from the incoming article conveyor such that the article is received onto the insert base through one of the end openings when the insert is in the raised position. The article transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The article transfer system according to claim 9, further comprising a central warehousing article conveyor and a plurality of article transfer stations, each article transfer station comprising an incoming article conveyor, wherein the incoming article conveyors of the plurality of article transfer stations are configured to transport articles from the central warehousing article conveyor to the lifting devices of their respective article transfer stations.

11. The article transfer station further comprises an outgoing article conveyor associated with the raised position of the insert, the outgoing article conveyor being configured to transport articles away from the lifting device, wherein the article moving device is configured to horizontally move the article from the insert base such that the article is received on the outgoing article conveyor through one of the end openings when the insert is in the raised position, according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The article transfer system according to claim 11, further comprising a central outgoing article conveyor and a plurality of article transfer stations, each article transfer station comprising an outgoing article conveyor, wherein the outgoing article conveyors of the plurality of article transfer stations are configured to transport articles from the lifting devices of their respective article transfer stations to the central outgoing article conveyor.

13. The article transfer station further comprises an alignment mechanism configured to align articles centered about a vertical axis extending centrally through the end opening of the insert channel, according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The lifting device is configured to vertically move the insert between the storage container and a plurality of raised positions, and the article transfer station comprises one or more article moving devices configured to horizontally move articles onto and / or from the insert base through the end opening for each raised position, according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. Each raised position has an associated incoming article conveyor configured to transport articles to the lifting device and / or an associated outgoing article conveyor configured to transport articles away from the lifting device, and for each raised position, the one or more article moving devices are configured to horizontally move articles from the associated incoming article conveyor such that the articles are received onto the insert base through one of the end openings, and / or the one or more article moving devices are configured to horizontally move articles from the insert base such that the articles are received onto the associated outgoing article conveyor through one of the end openings. The article transfer system according to claim 14.

16. The article transfer station has an incoming container conveyor configured to transport container units to the lifting device, and an outgoing container conveyor configured to transport container units away from the lifting device The article transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A storage and retrieval system comprising the article transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising a storage area in which a plurality of the container units are arranged in a plurality of vertical stacks, the storage and retrieval system comprising transport means configured to transport container units from the storage area to the article transfer station and / or from the article transfer station to the storage area. A storage and retrieval system.

18. To form a grid pattern defining a plurality of grid cells, the storage area has a storage structure, the storage structure has a track structure attached to the upper part of the framework, the track structure has a first set of tracks and a second set of tracks, the first set of tracks extends in a first direction, and the second set of tracks extends in a second direction, the second direction being substantially orthogonal to the first direction, wherein each stack of container units is disposed below a grid cell, and the storage and retrieval system further comprises one or more load handling devices, each load handling device A drive assembly configured to horizontally move the load handling device on the track structure; A container holding device configured to releasably hold the container unit from above; A lifting mechanism configured to lift and lower the container holding device The storage and retrieval system according to claim 17, comprising:

19. The container holding device includes a gripper, and each storage container includes a feature configured to engage with the gripper to enable the container unit to be lifted by the container holding device. The storage and retrieval system according to claim 18.

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