Disclosed inventory systems, methods, and devices can be used to retrieve and transport resources from one location to another. Specifically, a vertically mobile drive unit including a vertical element retention mechanism can be controlled by a management component to retrieve a resource, transport the resource from one floor to a different floor in an inventory system, and deposit the resource at a destination. The vertically mobile drive unit can transit vertically along a vertically disposed element in an inventory system, such as a structural pole or column; and can rotate around the structural pole or column in order to set down on an upper level after ascending, or to clear the upper level prior to descending.
Inventory system with swiveling vertically mobile drive units
2018-04-24
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | G05B Steuer- oder Regelsysteme allgemein , CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL / B65G TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS , Transport- oder Lagervorrichtungen, z.B. Förderer zum Laden oder Abladen / B66F HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING, OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD , Hub-, Verhol- oder Schubvorrichtungen, soweit nicht anderweitig vorgesehen, z.B. Vorrichtungen mit unmittelbarer Krafteinwirkung auf die Last / G05D SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES , Systeme zum Steuern oder Regeln nichtelektrischer veränderlicher Größen |