Ocado Innovation Limited

Ben Thomas

David Sharp

Joseph Zammit

Sean Clark

Andrew John Ingram-Tedd

Matthew Robert Whelan

Paul Clarke

Graham Deacon

Yongji Zhou

Sergey Zhelyabovskiy

Kris Turner

The present disclosure provides an improved cogwheel permitting enhanced meshing of cogwheels when operating perpendicularly. Exemplary embodiments introduce a multi-cogwheel design with specific dimensions and tooth profiles to permit perpendicular engagement of cogwheels whilst permitting translation of such cogwheels.

Cogwheel

There is provided a container maneuvering apparatus arranged to provide an interface between a container-conveying system and a container-storage system. More specifically, there is disclosed a container maneuvering apparatus arranged to load/unload a container into/from a carriage. Optionally, the carriage is a Magway carriage. The carriage can be made stationary before loading/unloading the container by the container-conveying system. The carriage and container can match velocities so that both are moving, but at the same velocity, whilst loading/unloading operations are performed by the container maneuvering apparatus.

Container-manoeuvring apparatus

A storage system as disclosed can maximize storage capacity whilst remaining scalable. A transporting device is arranged to form a cluster with a reconfigurable physical topology. A transporting device can cooperate with a portion of a surface, and with at least one other transporting device in a cluster with a reconfigurable physical topology. An item receiving space and a relocating unit permit relocation of the transporting device within the cluster by way of interaction with the portion of the surface.

Transporting device, storage system and method of relocating a transporting device

Growing community of inventors

Hatfield, United Kingdom

Ben Thomas