GB2622078A

GB2622078A - Storage system and vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2622078A
Application number: GB2212754.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sharp David; Turner Kris; clark Sean; Varga Daniel
Original assignee: Ocado Innovation Ltd
Current assignee: Ocado Innovation Ltd
Priority date: 2022-09-01
Filing date: 2022-09-01
Publication date: 2024-03-06
Also published as: GB202212754D0

Abstract

A storage system 1 has at least one storage frame 3 defining a cargo volume and with a plurality of divider walls 7 dividing the cargo volume into a plurality of sections 9. An outer shell 11 encloses the cargo volume and has an opening 13 for inserting or removing storage frame 3 from outer shell 11, which may be on a top, bottom or side of the shell. At least one side wall of outer shell 11 has a plurality of externally accessible doors 17. Divider walls 7 are positioned so that, when storage frame 3 is received within outer shell 11, sections 9 cooperate with doors 11 to define externally accessible lockers. The doors may be of different sizes and the divider walls may be adjustable and/or removable. A plurality of storage frames 3 may be housed in outer shell 11. A vehicle 31 with such a system 1 and a usage method are also provided.

Description

Storage system and vehicle The invention relates to a storage system, more particularly to a storage system comprising a plurality of lockers, e.g. for use on a delivery vehicle.

Background

In a traditional brick and mortar store based commerce, goods are typically distributed in a sequence from the manufacturer, to the wholesaler, to the retailer, and finally to the customer. Retail shops function as the end points of the distribution chain that a delivery carrier involves. The customers mostly have to take care of the 'last mile' transportation of goods, i.e. delivery from the physical point of purchase to home; the end of the distribution chain may be extended to the consumers' households.

However, this is largely not the case with e-commerce where products purchased online are transported from a distribution centre to either a collection point accessible by a customer or directly to a customer's home in a timely manner. As a result, the development of online shopping has led to a plethora of different e-commerce models for the purchase of goods online. These range from the click and collect model where customers purchasing or selecting goods online can either pick the goods up in a store of choice or at a centralized collection location, or a home delivery service where goods are delivered directly to the customer's premises.

Click and collect models are a secure access system for the delivery of goods ordered by a customer online to an automated collection point, which is accessible by a customer. The automated collection point typically has the form of a bank of electronically operated lockers controllable by a locker management system to control the allocation and access to one or more of the plurality of lockers upon receipt of an order of goods. Access to the lockers may be provided by communicating a collection code to a customer's device upon receipt of an order of goods such that when the collection code unique to the order is entered into a local user interface coupled to the bank of electronically operated lockers, access to the goods stored in one or more of the lockers allocated to the customer is permitted.

A home delivery service can be provided by a vehicle with a driver. After receiving an order from a customer, the customer's order is packed at a warehouse or distribution centre, and loaded onto a vehicle. The vehicle is driven to a customer's home or other collection address, and then the driver takes the order to the customer's door. Home delivery services can be provided by the retailers or suppliers of the goods, or alternatively home delivery services can be provided by a third party.

Another option is autonomous delivery. After receiving an order from a customer, the customer's order is packed at a warehouse or distribution centre, and loaded onto an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle is provided with one or more compartments to store customers' orders. The autonomous vehicle drives to the customer's home or other delivery address where the customer can retrieve their order from the vehicle.

However, it is time-consuming to transfer goods (for example, customer orders) from a warehouse or distribution centre into the lockers in a click-and-collect system or on a vehicle. Manually transferring items is labour intensive, and therefore increases the costs of last-mile delivery.

A means of quickly and easily transferring goods from a distribution centre or warehouse to a storage system is required.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention has mitigated the above problem by providing a storage system comprising a storage frame defining a cargo volume, the storage frame comprising a plurality of divider walls configured to divide the cargo volume into a plurality of sections; an outer shell enclosing the cargo volume and comprising an opening for inserting or removing the storage frame from the outer shell, and at least one side wall comprising a plurality of externally accessible doors; wherein the plurality of divider walls are positioned within the storage frame such that, when the storage frame is received within the outer shell, the plurality of sections cooperate with the plurality of doors to define a plurality of lockers bounded by the plurality of divider walls and externally accessible by the plurality of doors.

It is common for goods to be loaded onto storage frames at warehouses, especially wheeled storage frames or dollies, so that goods can quickly and easily be moved from one part of a warehouse to another. In systems where the goods are loaded onto storage frames, the invention saves time and effort because the loaded storage frames can quickly and efficiently form lockers for use in a variety of applications, e.g. click and collect or in a delivery vehicle. Moving individual items manually from a storage frame into lockers is a laborious and time-consuming process, and will add extra costs to the delivery or collection process. The storage system of the invention solves this problem and removes the need to transfer items from a storage frame to the lockers by moving the entire storage frame so that it is received within the outer shell. The sections of the storage frame, together with the plurality of doors of the outer shell, become the lockers, so the items do not need to be moved.

The divider walls of the storage frame also allows multiple customer orders to be stored in the storage system, while only allowing each customer to access their individual order.

The outer shell may comprise a plurality of side walls comprising the plurality of externally accessible doors. The outer shell may comprise two opposing side walls comprising the plurality of externally accessible doors. An advantage of lockers being accessible form more than one side wall of the outer shell is that multiple users or customers can access the lockers at the same time without getting in one another's way. This is particularly useful in examples where the storage system has a high throughput of orders, so multiple orders can be retrieved form the storage system at the same time, rather than retrieving goods from lockers becoming a bottleneck in the process if a customer/user has to wait until the previous customer/user has finished retrieving their order.

The outer shell may further comprise a plurality of external walls, wherein at least one of the plurality of lockers is further bounded by at least one of the plurality of external walls. For example, the storage frame may be a set of open shelves, with horizontal divider walls separating vertically adjacent sections. In this configuration the sections are open at the front and back and sides, and bounded on the top and bottom by the horizontal divider walls. When the storage frame is received within the outer shell, the plurality of doors align with the front of the sections, and the back and sides of the sections are bounded by the external walls of the outer shell. The lockers are therefore defined by the sections, the plurality of doors, and the external walls of the outer shell. Each locker is bounded by divider walls at the top and bottom, external walls at the sides and back, and a door at the front. The external walls of the outer shell can prevent access to the lockers from the back and from the sides, so the lockers are only accessible through the plurality of doors.

The storage frame may further comprise wheels configured to allow the storage frame to be rolled into and out of the outer shell. In cases where the storage frame comprises wheels, the storage frame may also be described as a dolly or trolley. The advantage of a wheeled storage frame is that it is much easier and more convenient to move, for example from one part of a warehouse or fulfilment centre to another part of the warehouse or fulfilment centre. Also a wheeled storage frame can easily be inserted into or removed from the outer shell. When the storage frame is loaded with goods, it may be very heavy, so would otherwise be difficult to handle or to transport. With wheels, the storage frame can simply be wheeled along the ground (for example by a human or by a vehicle) with no requirement for lifting.

The storage frame may further comprise runners configured to allow the storage frame to slide into and out of the outer shell. Runners can be used in addition to or as an alternative to wheels. Runners have the additional advantage of easily locating the storage frame in the outer shell, i.e. ensuring that the storage frame is aligned with the outer shell as the storage frame is inserted into or removed from the outer shell. The runners can take any suitable form, for example the runners may comprise one or more grooves on the internal walls of the outer shell and one or more travellers on the sides of the storage frame (or vice versa), such that the one or more travellers move within the one or more grooves in order to guide the storage frame into or out of the outer shell.

The lockers may be substantially cuboid in shape. The outer shell may be substantially cuboid in shape. Cuboids have the advantage of efficient packing, therefore achieving a high storage density of goods in the storage system, while also being simple to manufacture. The divider walls, doors, and/or external walls of the outer shell may be horizontal and/or vertical, arranged in perpendicular planes, in order to define cuboid-shaped lockers. The lockers may be arranged side-by-side within the outer shell and/or stacked vertically within the outer shell.

One or more of the divider walls may comprise a thermally insulating material. This enables adjacent lockers to be held at different temperatures with reduced heat transfer through the divider walls. This is advantageous in cases where the stored items have different temperature requirements, e.g. ambient, chilled, and frozen goods, or hot food. Insulated divider walls allow items to be stored at different temperatures in adjacent lockers in the same storage frame. The insulated divider walls reduce heat transfer between adjacent lockers, so the items will remain at the required temperature for a longer period of time. Insulated divider walls are particularly advantageous in cases where the storage frame is used for storing a customer order including goods at different temperatures.

The plurality of doors may also be thermally insulated (i.e. comprise a thermally insulating material), to reduce heat transfer between the inside of the storage system and the outside. Insulating the doors is particularly useful when items in the storage system are required to be stored at a temperature which is different to the temperature external of the storage system, for example hot food or frozen goods. In cases where the outer shell comprises external walls, the external walls may also be thermally insulated (i.e. comprise a thermally insulating material), in order to further reduce heat transfer between inside of the storage system and the outside. It should be noted that insulated doors and/or external walls can be used in conjunction with insulated divider walls (i.e. heat transfer is reduced both between adjacent lockers, and between the storage system and the outside), or insulated doors and/or external walls can be used without insulated divider walls (i.e. heat transfer is reduced between the storage system and the outside, but not between adjacent lockers). The latter arrangement may be advantageous in cases where items stored in the lockers are all held at a similar temperature, which is different from the outside temperature. For example, in cases where the storage frame is used for storing hot food, it is advantageous to reduce heat transfer between the storage system and the outside (in order to keep the food hot for a longer time), but not necessary to reduce heat transfer between lockers, since all of the lockers are used for hot food so are maintained at a similar temperature to each other. Any suitable thermal insulating material can be used, for example polystyrene or foam.

The divider walls may be arranged such that the plurality of sections are of different shapes and/or sizes. Advantageously, this allows items of different shapes and/or sizes to be stored conveniently.

The position of the divider walls within the storage frame may be adjustable and/or the divider walls may be removable from the storage frame. Removable and/or adjustable walls have the advantage of flexibility in the size, shape, and number of items that can be accommodated within the storage frame. For example, some of the divider walls can be removed if the storage system is used for larger items, so that the larger items can fit in the lockers. Divider walls can then be replaced if the system is used for smaller items, so that a greater number of items can be fitted into the available space. Alternatively or additionally, divider walls can be adjusted or moved within the storage frame to vary the size of the lockers.

One of the plurality of doors may provide access to more than one of the plurality of lockers. This is advantageous in cases where the storage system is used for customer orders comprising multiple items, especially large orders where the ordered items will not all fit into one locker.

One door providing access to more than one locker is particularly useful in conjunction with insulated divider walls. For example, a customer order may be a grocery order including items with different temperature requirements, e.g. ambient and frozen goods. For example, one door could provide access to two adjacent lockers, with the divider wall between the two lockers being thermally insulated. One of the two lockers could be used for storing frozen items, and the other of the two lockers used for storing items at ambient temperature. Since the two lockers are accessible via one door, the one door can provide access to the whole of the customer's order, with the advantage that the order can be collected more conveniently and easily.

One door providing access to more than one locker is also useful in conjunction with removable divider walls. In the example above with one door providing access to two adjacent lockers with a divider wall between them, the divider wall being removable gives the flexibility to remove the divider wall between the two lockers to form a single larger locker. The single larger locker can be used to store larger items.

Alternatively or additionally, more than one of the plurality of doors may provide access to one of the plurality of lockers. This is useful in examples where the locker is large, and a single door would be large and unwieldy therefore inconvenient to use.

The storage system may comprise a plurality of storage frames wherein the plurality of storage frames are configured to be arranged horizontally and/or arranged vertically within the outer shell. Multiple storage frames may be advantageous in examples where the items in the storage frames are dispatched from different warehouses, or different parts of the same warehouse, so items from different locations can be stored in the same storage system without the need for decanting or manually transferring goods. The plurality of storage frames may be configured to be arranged sideby-side within the outer shell and/or stacked vertically within the outer shell. The plurality of storage frames may be of the same shape and size, or of different shapes and/or sizes.

The storage system may further comprise alignment features configured to align the divider walls of the storage frame with the plurality of doors during insertion into or removal from the outer shell. It is important that, once the storage frame is received within the outer shell, divider walls are aligned so that the sections of the storage frame cooperate with the doors to define lockers. If the divider walls are not aligned, i.e. displaced from their required positions, the sections of the storage unit and the doors will not line up and there will be gaps. In some cases, the contents of a locker may be accessible from an adjacent locker, which may be a security risk. Alignment features ensure that the divider walls of the storage frame are aligned with the doors so that there are no gaps and each locker is only accessible through its respective door.

The storage system may further comprise locking features configured to fix the position of the storage frame relative to the outer shell once the storage frame is received in the outer shell.

One or more of the plurality of doors may be fitted with a locking mechanism configured to selectively allow access to one or more of the lockers. Advantageously, a locking mechanism ensures that only authorized access is possible. For example, in cases where the storage system is a click-and-collect system, a customer may be provided with a physical key or a key code to unlock the locker(s) containing their order, so the customer can access the lockers containing their own order but not any other lockers.

The storage system may further comprise a control system configured to selectively operate the locking mechanism to allow a user to open the one or more doors and access the one or more lockers.

The storage frame may be configured to hold a plurality of storage containers. For example, the lockers may be sized appropriately so that each locker holds at least one storage container. Storage containers may be used to store goods in storage and retrieval systems such as the one described in W02015/185628A (Ocado). The use of storage containers in the storage frame has the advantage that storage containers from a storage and retrieval system can be placed directly into a storage frame, without the need to manually transfer or decant or pack/unpack the items in the storage containers into the storage frame. This improves the system efficiency, and results in faster order fulfilment and lower costs.

The storage frame may further comprise external walls such that, when the storage frame is received within the outer shell, one or more of the external walls of the storage frame form one or more external walls of one or more of the lockers. This is an alternative or in addition to the outer shell having external walls, as described above. The function of the external walls of the storage frame is to prevent access to the interior of the lockers. In examples where the storage frame comprises external walls, the lockers are bounded by the divider walls, the external walls of the storage frame, and the plurality of doors.

The opening of the outer shell may be located on a side of the outer shell to allow the storage frame to be inserted into or removed from the outer shell horizontally through the opening. This arrangement is particularly advantageous in examples where the storage frames comprise wheels, because the storage frames can simply be wheeled into the outer shell through the opening on the side of the outer shell, without the need to pick up or lift the storage frames.

The opening of the outer shell may be located on the top of the outer shell to allow the storage frame to be lowered into or lifted out of the outer shell vertically through the opening. The opening of the outer shell may be located on the bottom of the outer shell to allow the outer shell to be lowered onto or lifted off the storage frame vertically through the opening.

The outer shell may comprise a loading door configured to selectively permit access to the opening.

The loading door can be opened to allow the storage frames to be inserted into or removed from the outer shell via the opening. When the storage frame is received within the opening, the loading door can be closed in order to prevent access.

At least one of the at least one side wall may comprise the loading door, and the loading door may comprise a portion of the plurality of doors. In some examples, all of the plurality of doors may be in the loading door. In other examples, the plurality of doors is divided between the loading door and one or more other side walls.

An advantage of the latter arrangement is that lockers are accessible from more than one side of the outer shell, so may more conveniently be accessed by several users or customers at the same time.

On one side of the outer shell, the lockers are accessible through the doors in a side wall of the outer shell, and on another side of the outer shell, the lockers are accessible through the doors in the loading door. In some examples the same lockers can be accessible through two doors, and in other examples two banks of lockers can be provided, one accessible through the doors in the side wall and one accessible through doors in the loading door.

In another aspect, the invention provides a vehicle comprising a vehicle chassis and the storage system as described above. The vehicle can be used to transport items from a warehouse or fulfilment centre to a location where customers can collect their items, and/or the vehicle can be used for delivery of customer orders to customers' homes.

The outer shell of the storage system may be configured to be removably mounted on the vehicle chassis. This has the advantage that the same outer shell can be used with different vehicles, depending on requirements, therefore providing flexibility in how the storage system is used. In some examples, the same storage system can be used either as a standalone storage system (e.g. a clickand-collect system) or on a vehicle.

Alternatively, the outer shell of the storage system may be integral with the vehicle chassis. An advantage of this arrangement is speed of deployment; as soon as the storage frame is inserted into the outer shell, the storage system is on the vehicle and ready to go.

The outer shell of the storage system may form at least a portion of the exterior of the vehicle.

The vehicle may further comprise a vehicle shell configured to enclose the outer shell of the storage system. A separate vehicle shell has the advantage of providing further protection for the contents of the storage system, and may mean that the outer shell of the storage system can be less robust or less weather-proof, thus potentially reducing the cost of the storage system.

The vehicle shell may comprise a vehicle door configured to allow access to the plurality of doors of the storage system. This allows users or customers to retrieve their orders from the lockers of the storage system. The vehicle shell may comprise a vehicle opening for inserting or removing the outer shell of the storage system. This allows the storage system to be loaded onto or removed from the vehicle.

The vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle. Autonomous vehicles have the advantage of saving on labour costs in that no driver is required to drive the vehicle, while still providing home deliveries to customers. The autonomous vehicle may comprise one or more sensors (e.g. cameras, radar, lidar, sonar, GPS, etc.) and a control system configured to receive input from the one or more sensors to allow the vehicle to drive between a plurality of destinations without input, or with minimal input, from a human driver. The control system may be configured to control one or more of: speed, steering, and braking of the vehicle.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of using the storage system of the above aspects, comprising: inserting the storage frame into the outer shell such that the plurality of sections cooperate with the plurality of doors to define a plurality of lockers bounded by the plurality of divider walls and externally accessible by the plurality of doors.

The method may further comprise loading one or more storage containers into one or more sections of the storage frame before inserting the storage frame into the outer shell. The method may further comprise loading one or more items into the one or more storage containers before loading the one or more storage containers into the one or more sections of the storage frame.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will be described by way of example only by reference to the following figures. Figure 1 schematically illustrates storage frames with sections separated by divider walls. Figure 2 schematically illustrates an outer shell.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a storage system comprising storage units in the process of being inserted into an outer shell.

Figure 4 schematically illustrates a storage system comprising an outer shell and storage frames received within the outer shell.

Figure 5 (a and b) schematically illustrates the storage system of Figure 4, where the plurality of lockers are accessible through the plurality of doors.

Figure 6 (a and b) illustrates a storage frame configured to hold storage containers.

Figure 7 (a to c) schematically illustrates a storage frame with different numbers and arrangements of sections.

Figure 8 schematically illustrates a storage frame with sections of different shapes and sizes.

Figure 9 (a to c) schematically illustrates a pair of lockers with a divider wall.

Figure 10 (a and b) schematically illustrates a storage system where a) one locker is accessible through a pair of doors, and b) one door provides access to a pair of lockers.

Figure 11 schematically illustrates a vehicle comprising a storage system, in which two storage frames are in the process of being inserted into an outer shell.

Figure 12 schematically illustrates the vehicle of Figure 11, in which doors provide access to the lockers of the storage system.

Figure 13 schematically illustrates a storage system, in which a second set of doors are provided within a loading door covering the opening.

Figure 14 (a to c) schematically illustrates a vehicle comprising the storage system.

Figure 15 schematically illustrates a vehicle with a vehicle outer shell.

Detailed description

One example of the storage system 1 of the invention is illustrated in Figures 1-3. Figure 1 illustrates storage frames 3, Figure 2 illustrates an outer shell 11, and Figure 3 illustrates the storage frames being inserted into/removed from the outer shell 11. In use, when the storage frames 3 are fully received within the outer frame 11, the storage frame 3 co-operates with the outer shell 11 to define a plurality of lockers, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 1 schematically illustrates two storage frames 3. The storage frames 3 have an internal volume, which will be referred to as a cargo volume 5. The cargo volume 5 is divided into several sections 9 by divider walls 7. Items can be stored in the sections 9 of the storage frames 3. For example, the storage frames may be used in a warehouse or fulfilment centre, and the items may be items ordered by customers and ready to be dispatched. In some examples, different orders for different customers can be stored in different sections 9 of the storage frames 3.

In the illustrated example, the storage frames 3 are provided with wheels 23. Wheels have the advantage of making it easy to transport the storage frames 3, which may be heavy when full of items.

In other examples the storage frame 3 may not have wheels 23, and be configured to be transported in a different way, e.g. lifted by a forklift truck or other vehicle, or transported on a conveyor belt.

The sections 9 as illustrated in Figure 1 are substantially cuboid in shape. Some of the top walls, side walls, and base walls of the sections are formed from the divider walls, and some by external walls of the storage frame, as will be described later. The sections are arranged in a grid structure, in rows and columns, such that sections 9 are vertically and horizontally adjacent to each other. Horizontally adjacent sections 9 share a side wall, and vertically adjacent sections 9 share a top/bottom wall. Each section 9 comprises a base wall and three side walls, with one side being open to allow items to be placed into and removed from the sections. The sections 9 at the top of the storage frames 3 are open at the top, and the sections 9 below have a top wall. The top wall of these sections 9 is the bottom wall of the section above.

In the illustrated example there are two storage frames 3. In other examples there may be only one storage frame 3, or more than two storage frames 3. Storage frames 3 may be any size and shape, with any number of sections 9, depending on the requirements of the storage system 1. The sections 9 may be substantially cuboid in shape, which has the advantage that the storage frames 3 are easy and convenient to manufacture using substantially vertical divider walls 7 and/or substantially horizontal divider walls 7. Storage frames 3 can be stacked side-by-side as illustrated in Figure 1, or storage frames can be stacked vertically on top of one another. Storage frames 3 may be provided with wheels 23. Storage frames 3 with wheels may be vertically stackable without removing the wheels.

Figure 2 schematically illustrates an outer shell 11. The outer shell 11 comprises an opening 13. In the specific example illustrated, the outer shell 11 is substantially cuboid in shape, with three side walls.

Instead of a fourth side wall at the rear of the outer shell 11, the opening 13 is located at the rear of the outer shell. A storage frame 3 can be inserted or removed through the opening 13, as will be described later.

The front side wall 15 of the outer shell 11 comprises a plurality of doors 17. The front side wall 15 is opposite the opening 13, and the front side wall 15 together with the two lateral side walls 21 forms a three-sided structure. The doors 17 on the front side wall are accessible from the outside of the outer shell 11, and allow access to the interior of the outer shell 11. The doors 17 can be operated (opened and closed) from the outside of the outer shell 11.

In the illustrated example, the outer shell 11 also has an internal divider wall that separates the internal volume into two parts, for receiving two storage frames 3. In other examples there may be only one storage frame 3, or multiple storage frames 3 with no internal divider walls in the outer shell 11 to separate the storage frames 3, or any other suitable arrangement (e.g. a plurality of internal divider walls to separate the internal volume into more than two parts).

The rear of the outer shell 11 comprises a pair of loading doors 29, which selectively permit access to the opening 13. The loading doors 29 as illustrated are hinged at the sides and open by swinging horizontally outwards. In other examples, loading doors 29 could move in other directions be hinged at the top or the bottom. In other examples the outer shell 11 may be provided with a single loading door 29, or more than two loading doors 29, or a different means of closing the opening 13 (for example a roller or shutter or cover or removable wall). In other examples the opening 13 may remain uncovered, and the storage frame 3 may be provided with an external wall to prevent access to the lockers 19.

In some examples the outer shell 11 may also be provided with a top wall. For ease of explanation and to more clearly see the parts, no top wall is shown in Figures 2-4.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a storage system 1 comprising the storage frames 3 of Figure 1 and the outer shell 11 of Figure 2. As can be seen from the figure, the opening 13 of the outer shell 11 is sized and shaped so that the storage frames 3 can be inserted into and removed from the outer shell 11 via the opening 13. The arrows in the figure illustrate the direction of movement as the storage frames 3 are inserted into the outer shell 11.

When closed, the loading doors 29 prevent access through the opening 13. The loading doors 29 open to enable the storage units 3 to be inserted into the outer shell 11, then when the storage units 3 are received within the outer shell 11 the loading doors 29 close over the opening 13 to prevent access to the storage units 3.

Figure 4 schematically illustrates the storage system 1 with the storage frames 3 fully received within the outer shell 11. The doors 17 on the side wall 15 of the outer shell 11 are aligned with the sections 9 of the storage frames 3, such that the sections 9 and the doors 17 together define lockers 19. In the illustrated example, each section 9 becomes one locker 19 with one door 17, so there is a one-to-one correspondence between the sections 9, the doors 17, and the lockers 19. The lockers 19 are bounded by the divider walls 7 of the storage frames 3, the side walls 21, and the doors 17. Access to each locker 19 is facilitated by its respective door 17.

In other examples, one door 17 may provide access to multiple lockers 19. This could be useful in examples where customers are collecting large orders, which do not comfortably fit in a single locker 19. Alternatively or additionally, one locker 19 may be provided with more than one door 17. For example, a large locker 19 may be provided with a pair of doors 17 for ease of access.

Figure 5 (a and b) illustrates the storage system 1 of Figure 4, where the storage frames 3 have been received within the outer frame 11. A top wall is illustrated, in addition to the side walls 15, 21 of the outer shell 11. The top wall prevents access to the lockers 19 from the top. The plurality of doors 17 provide access to the lockers 19.

In the example illustrated in Figure 5, access to the lockers is controlled by the doors 17, and each locker 19 is accessed through a respective door 17. For example, in Figure 5a) the door labelled 17a is closed so the corresponding locker cannot be accessed, and the door labelled 17b is open so the corresponding locker 19b can be accessed. In Figure 5b), however, the door labelled 17a is open so the corresponding locker 19b is accessible, but the door labelled 17b is closed so the corresponding locker cannot be accessed.

Figure 6 (a and b) illustrates a storage frame 3 configured to hold storage containers 25. Figure 6a) illustrates the storage frame without the storage containers 25, and Figure 6b) illustrates the storage frame 3 with storage containers 25. As can be seen from the figures, the sections 9 of the storage frame 3 are sized appropriately so that each section 9 holds one storage container 25. When the storage frame 3 is received within an outer shell 11 to define lockers 19, each of the lockers 19 will contain a storage container 25. In other examples, some of the sections 9 may hold storage containers and other sections 9 may have items placed directly in them, and/or some sections 9 may contain more than one storage container 25.

As described above, storage containers 25 can be used to store items in grid-based storage and retrieval systems. The use of storage containers 25 in the storage frame 3 has the advantage that storage containers 25 containing customer orders from a grid-based storage and retrieval system can be placed directly into a storage frame 3, which can then be directly placed into an outer shell 11 to form lockers 19 to allow customers to retrieve their orders, without the need to manually transfer or decant or pack/unpack the items out of the storage containers 25. This improves the system efficiency, and results in faster order fulfilment and lower costs.

In some examples, the storage containers 25 may be provided with runners for easy insertion and removal into and out of the lockers 19, in the same manner as drawers in a chest of drawers. Runners have the advantage of easily locating the storage containers 25 within the lockers 19, i.e. ensuring that each storage container 25 is aligned with the locker 19 as the storage container 25 is inserted into or removed from the locker 19. The runners can take any suitable form, for example the runners may comprise one or more grooves on the internal walls of the lockers 19 and one or more travellers on the sides of the storage container (or vice versa), such that the one or more travellers move within the one or more grooves in order to guide the storage container 25 into or out of the locker 19.

Figure 7 (a to c) illustrates some examples of storage frames 3 with different numbers and arrangements of sections 9. In Figure 7a), the storage unit comprises twelve sections 9, arranged in four horizontal rows and three vertical columns, which can be described as a 4x3 arrangement. Figure 7b) illustrates a storage unit 3 with 28 sections arranged in four rows and seven columns, which can be described as a 4x7 arrangement. Figure 7c) illustrates a storage unit 3 with eight sections 9 arranged in a three-dimensional grid, which can be described as a 2x2x2 arrangement. The rows and columns could also be described as "double-stacked", i.e. with additional rows and columns directly behind -in this example, there are two rows and two columns in a 2x2 arrangement double stacked with two rows and two columns in a 2x2 arrangement directly behind, forming a 2x2x2 arrangement of eight sections.

Figure 8 illustrates an example of a storage frame 3 where the sections 9 are of different shapes and sizes, to accommodate different goods. In the illustrated example, the sections 9 are occupied by storage containers 25 of different shapes and sizes, each storage container 25 being the appropriate shape/size for its respective section 9.

The position of the divider walls 7 within the storage frame 3 may be adjustable and/or the divider walls 7 may be removable from the storage frame 3, in order to permit some flexibility in the size, shape, and number of items that can be accommodated within the storage frame 3. For example, the horizontal divider wall labelled as 7a in Figure 8 separates two sections 9. If the horizontal divider wall 7a were removed, the two sections 9 directly above and below the horizontal divider wall would become one larger section which could accommodate a taller storage container, similar to the taller section 9a and the taller storage container 25a illustrated below in the storage frame 3. Similarly, the vertical divider wall labelled as 7b in Figure 8 separates two sections 9. If the vertical divider wall 7b were removed, the two horizontally adjacent sections 9 would become one wider section which could accommodate a wider storage container, similar to the wider section 9b and the wider storage container 25b illustrated directly below in the storage frame 3. In this way, a storage frame 3 can easily be modified to accommodate larger storage containers 25 or larger items, depending on the requirements. Divider walls 7 can be replaced if the system is used for smaller items, so that a greater number of items can be fitted into the available space.

In some examples the storage system 1 may further comprise alignment features configured to align the divider walls 7 of the storage frame 3 with the plurality of doors 17 during insertion into or removal from the outer shell 11. It is important that, once the storage frame 3 is received within the outer shell 11, divider walls 7 are aligned with the doors 17 so that the sections 9 of the storage frame 3 cooperate with the doors 17 to define lockers 19. If the divider walls 7 are not aligned, i.e. displaced from their required positions, the sections 9 of the storage frame 3 and the doors 17 will not line up and there will be gaps.

Figure 9 (a to c) illustrates an example where two lockers 19, a left locker 19a and a right locker 19b, are horizontally adjacent, and separated by a vertical divider wall 7. The vertical divider wall 7 is disposed between the left locker 19a and the right locker 19b, and the left and right lockers 19a, 19b are provided with a door 17 each, referred to as a left door 17a and a right door 17b. The storage frame 3 is represented by dashed lines, and the outer shell 11 by solid lines.

In Figure 9a the vertical divider wall 7 is correctly aligned, and the left door 17a provides access to the left locker 19a, and the right door 17b provides access to the right locker 19b. If, however, the vertical divider wall 7 between the left 19a and the right locker 19b is misaligned by being displaced to the left of its intended position as illustrated in Figure 9b, several problems occur. For example, when the door 17a of the left locker 19a is opened, as well as providing access to the left locker 19a as intended, the right locker 19b may be accessible through the left door 17a. Since the vertical divider wall 7 is to the left of its intended position rather than aligned with the edges of the doors 17, there will be a gap through which the right locker 19b can be accessed. In Figure 9c the right door 17b is closed, but access to the right locker 19b is still possible through the left door 17a. This may be a security risk.

An additional problem is that the displacement of the vertical divider wall 7 to the left results in the left locker 19a being narrower than intended. There may not be sufficient space for items to be removed from the left locker 19a. In cases where a side wall of the outer shell 11 forms the left wall of the left locker 19a, the internal space in the left locker 19a will be reduced as the storage frame 3 is pushed farther left into the outer shell 11, and items in the left locker 19a may be squashed or damaged.

Alignment features ensure that the divider walls 7 of the storage frame 3 are aligned with the doors 17 so that there are no gaps and each locker 19 is only accessible through its respective door 17.

Alignment features can take any appropriate form, for example a guide surface that locates the divider walls 7, or a groove-and-traveller arrangement as described above in reference to runners to assist in sliding the storage frames 3 into the outer shell 11, or stops, or a pin-and-hole mechanism. Alignment features can also be locking features, or comprise locking features, to retain the divider walls 7 in position once located, for example by a snap fit, hooks, loops, bolts, or magnets.

One or more of the plurality of doors 17 may be fitted with a locking mechanism to selectively allow access to one or more of the lockers 19. Advantageously, a locking mechanism ensures that only authorized access is possible. For example, in cases where the storage system 1 is a click-and-collect system, a customer may be provided with a physical key or a key code to unlock the locker(s) 19 containing their order, so the customer can access the lockers 19 containing their own order but not any other lockers 19 In more sophisticated systems, the storage system 1 may further comprise a control system configured to selectively operate the locking mechanism to allow a user to open one or more doors 17 and access one or more lockers 19. For example, an access code could be sent to the customer's mobile device, which the customer then inputs in order to retrieve their order. Upon receiving the correct access code, the control system would instruct the locking mechanism to unlock the appropriate door 17 to enable the customer to access their goods from the appropriate locker 19.

In some examples the storage system 1 can be provided with a display to provide information about customer orders (for example, a list of all products in the order, the customer name, whether any goods were out of stock and needed to be substituted). In some examples the display can comprise a graphical user interface to enable the customer to interact with the storage system to retrieve their order from one or more lockers, for example by entering an access code. For example the graphical user interface may include one or more input devices, for example a keyboard or mouse or trackpad or touchscreen where the customer can make selections.

In some examples sensors can be used to detect information about the customer. For example, a proximity sensor could be used to detect when a customer approaches the graphical user interface, and the graphical user interface could react by displaying a welcome message. One or more cameras could be mounted on the storage system along with the display. The one or more cameras could be used to identify a customer using facial recognition technology. The display can then show a personalized welcome message for that customer. Information specifically tailored to that customer can be displayed, for example special offers or product recommendations.

Facial recognition technology could also be used to identify the customer and open the locker(s) containing the customer's order. For example, the one or more cameras could be used to identify a customer and the control system would instruct the locking mechanism to only open the door 17 of the locker 19 containing that customer's order. If the facial recognition technology does not recognize the person approaching the vehicle, the control system ensures that the locking mechanism is activated so that the doors 17 remain locked.

When the customer has retrieved their goods from the locker 19, or when a customer stops interacting with the graphical user interface, the control system may be configured to close the door 17 of the locker 19 automatically, then activate the locking mechanism to lock the door 17. One or more cameras or proximity sensors can be used to determine whether the customer has walked away from the storage system 1, even if the customer has not collected their goods. Once the interaction is over (whether completed or abandoned), the control system can instruct the doors 1 to close and lock in order to prevent access to the goods in the lockers 19.

In the examples illustrated so far, each of the lockers is accessible through one door 17, i.e. there is a one-to-one relationship between the doors 17 and the lockers 19. In the examples illustrated in Figure 10 (a and b), there is not a one-to-one relationship between the doors 17 and the lockers 19.

In the storage system 1 illustrated in Figure 10a), a pair of doors (labelled 17a and 17b) provide access to a single locker (labelled 19). This is useful in cases where the lockers 19 are large, where a pair of doors 17a, 17b will be individually smaller and more convenient to open/close than on larger door. In examples where the divider walls 7 are removable (for example, as discussed above with reference to Figure 8), two adjacent lockers 19 with one door 17 each can be converted into a single larger locker 19 with a pair of doors 17 by removing the divider wall 7 separating the two lockers.

In the storage system 1 illustrated in Figure 10b), a single door 17 provides access to a pair of lockers 19a, 19b. This is advantageous in cases where the storage system 1 is used for customer orders comprising multiple items, especially large orders where the ordered items will not all fit into one locker. Only one key or key code needs to be provided to the customer in order to open the door 17 and permit access to both lockers 19a and 19b. In a similar way to the example of Figure 10a) discussed above, if the divider wall 7 between lockers 19a and 19b were to be removed, the two lockers 19a, 19b would be combined into one larger locker accessible through the single door 17.

Figure 11 schematically illustrates a vehicle 31, on which a storage system 1 is installed. The vehicle 31 enables the storage system 1 to be used for last mile delivery, for example to deliver online orders to customers' homes or other pickup locations. Alternatively the vehicle 31 could be used to deliver food. In cases where the external walls 21 and/or divider walls 7 and/or doors 17 are insulated, the vehicle 31 could be used to deliver temperature-sensitive goods like hot meals or ice cream.

The outer shell 11 may be integral with the chassis of the vehicle 31, or the outer shell 11 may be a separate component that is mounted on the vehicle chassis. In Figure 11 two storage frames 3 are in the process of being inserted into or removed from the outer shell 11, through the opening 13. Loading doors 29 are positioned across the opening 13. The loading doors 29 are opened to allow storage frames 3 to be inserted into or removed from the outer shell 11. As described earlier, when the storage frames 3 are fully received within the outer shell 11, the divider walls 7 are positioned such that the sections 9 of the storage frames 3 align with the plurality of doors 17, such that the sections 9 and doors 17 together define a plurality of lockers 19.

Figure 12 schematically illustrates the vehicle 31 of Figure 11 with the storage frames 3 fully inserted into the outer shell 11. The loading doors 29 are closed over the opening 13 (not visible in the figure), thus preventing access to the lockers 19 except through means of the plurality of doors 17. In the illustrated example, each locker 19 is accessible by one door 17.

In some examples, in addition to a side wall 15 of the outer shell 11 comprising doors 17, the loading doors 29 which close over the opening 13 may comprise a portion of the plurality of doors 17. The doors 17 are smaller than the larger loading doors 29 which close over the opening 13. The doors 17 in the loading doors 29 may be identical to or different from the doors 17 in the side wall 15 of the outer shell 11. When the loading doors 29 are closed, the doors 17 provide access to the lockers 19.

Figure 13 schematically illustrates an example of a storage system 1 where the loading doors 29a, 29b comprise a portion of the plurality of doors 17b. The side wall 15 comprises the remainder of the plurality of doors 17a. The doors 17a and 17b together comprise the plurality of doors 17. In the illustrated example, the left hand loading door 29a is open, and there is no storage frame 3 within the left had side of the outer shell 11. A storage frame 3 is received within the right hand side of the outer shell 11, and the right hand loading door 29b is closed. Several of the portion of the plurality of doors 17b in both the left hand loading door 29a and the right hand loading door 29b are open.

For ease of illustration, the storage system 1 is illustrated with no top wall shown, so the inside of the storage system 1 can more easily be seen. Doors 17a can also be seen in the sidewall 15 on the opposite side of the outer shell 11 to the loading doors 29.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 13, there are two banks of lockers 19. The rear bank of lockers 19a can be accessed through the plurality of doors 17a in the side wall 15 of the outer shell 11. The front bank of lockers 19b (in front of the rear bank of lockers 19a as seen in Figure 13) can be accessed through the portion of the plurality of doors 17b in the loading doors 29. As described earlier, the divider walls 7 of the storage frame 3 align with the plurality of doors 17a in the sidewall 15 of the outer shell 11 so that the sections of the storage frame 3 define the rear bank of lockers 19a accessible through the plurality of doors 17. In a similar manner, the divider walls 7 of the storage frame 3 align with the portion of the plurality of doors 17b in the loading doors 29 so that the sections of the storage frame 3 define the front bank of lockers 19b accessible through the portion of the plurality of doors 17b in the loading doors 29.

The storage system 1 illustrated in Figure 13 is effectively a double-sided storage system 1 where two banks of lockers 19a, 19b are accessible from opposite sides of the storage system 1. The advantage of lockers 19a, 19b being accessible from two sides is that multiple users or customers can access the lockers 19a, 19b at the same time without getting in one another's way. This is useful in examples where the storage system 1 is a click-and-collect system with high throughput of orders. In the case where the storage system 1 is used on a vehicle 31, an advantage of lockers 19a, 19b being accessible from two sides is that the vehicle 31 can park on either side of the road to allow customers to retrieve their orders.

Figure 14 (a to c) schematically illustrates various aspects of a vehicle 31 comprising the storage system 1. The vehicle 31 comprises a vehicle chassis 33, illustrated in Figure 14(a). The vehicle chassis comprises wheels driven by a drivetrain powered by, for example, an internal combustion engine and/or an electric motor, in order to enable the vehicle to move.

Figure 14(b) schematically illustrates the outer shell 11 of the storage system 1. The outer shell 11 in the illustrated example is able to be removably mounted on the vehicle chassis 33 illustrated in Figure 14(a). The outer shell 11 comprises side walls and a top wall, and an opening 13 for inserting or removing a storage frame 3 (not shown) from the outer shell 11. A loading door 29 allows access to the opening 13. Two opposing side walls 15 comprise a plurality of externally accessible doors 17. The outer shell 11 forms part of the exterior of the vehicle.

Figure 14(c) illustrates the vehicle 31 with the outer shell 11 mounted on the vehicle chassis 33. In the illustrated example, a storage frame 3 is received within the outer shell 11. Lockers 19 are formed from the storage frame divider walls, the plurality of doors 17, and the external walls 21 of outer shell 11. The lockers 19 contain storage containers 25, in order to facilitate easy retrieval of customers' orders.

In the example illustrated in Figure 14 the outer shell 11 of the storage system 1 is mounted on the vehicle chassis 33. In other examples the outer shell 11 may be integral with the vehicle chassis 33.

Figure 15 schematically illustrates a vehicle 31 comprising a vehicle shell 35 configured to enclose the outer shell of the storage system (not shown). The vehicle shell 35 has a vehicle door 37 configured to allow access to the doors of the storage system to allow users or customers to retrieve their orders from the lockers of the storage system. The vehicle shell 35 also comprises a vehicle opening 39 for inserting or removing the storage system. This allows the storage system to be loaded onto or removed from the vehicle. In the illustrated example, the vehicle door 37 is used for both loading/unloading the storage system onto the vehicle 31, and for retrieving orders from the lockers of the storage system. In other examples, the vehicle door 37 for accessing orders in the lockers of the storage system may be separate from the vehicle opening 39 for inserting or removing the outer shell of the storage system. In some examples, more than one vehicle door 37 may be provided. The vehicle shell 35 may be configured to be removably mounted to the vehicle chassis 33 or the vehicle shell 35 may be integral with the vehicle chassis 33.

The vehicle 31 can be used to transport items from a warehouse or fulfilment centre to a location where customers can collect their items, and/or the vehicle 31 can be used for delivery of customer orders to customers' homes. In some examples, the vehicle 31 can be an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may comprise one or more sensors (e.g. cameras, radar, lidar, sonar, GPS, etc.) and a control system configured to receive input from the one or more sensors to allow the vehicle to drive between a plurality of destinations without input, or with minimal input, from a human driver. The control system may be configured to control one or more of: speed, steering, and braking of the vehicle.

Claims

Claims 1. A storage system 1 comprising: a storage frame 3 defining a cargo volumes, the storage frame 3 comprising a plurality of divider walls 7 configured to divide the cargo volumes into a plurality of sections 9; an outer shell 11 enclosing the cargo volume sand comprising an opening 13 for inserting or removing the storage frame 3 from the outer shell 11, and at least one side wall 15 comprising a plurality of externally accessible doors 17; wherein the plurality of divider walls 7 are positioned within the storage frame 3 such that, when the storage frame 3 is received within the outer shell 11, the plurality of sections 9 cooperate with the plurality of doors 17 to define a plurality of lockers 19 bounded by the plurality of divider walls 7 and externally accessible by the plurality of doors 17.
2. The storage system 1 of claim 1, wherein the outer shell 11 comprises a plurality of side walls 15 comprising the plurality of externally accessible doors 17.
3. The storage system 1 of claim 2, wherein the outer shell 11 comprises two opposing side walls 15 comprising the plurality of externally accessible doors 17.
4. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the outer shell 11 further comprises a plurality of external walls 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of lockers 19 is further bounded by at least one of the plurality of external walls 21.
5. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the storage frame 3 further comprises wheels 23 configured to allow the storage frame 3 to be rolled into and out of the outer shell 11.
6. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the storage frame 3 further comprises runners configured to allow the storage frame 3 to slide into and out of the outer shell 11.
7. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the lockers 19 are substantially cuboid in shape.
8. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the outer shell 11 is substantially cuboid in shape.
9. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the lockers 19 are arranged side-by-side within the outer shell 11 and/or stacked vertically within the outer shell 11.
10. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein one of more of the divider walls 7 comprises a thermally insulating material.
11. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the divider walls 7 are arranged such that the plurality of sections 9 are of different shapes and/or sizes.
12. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the position of the divider walls 7 within the storage frame 3 are adjustable and/or the divider walls are removable from the storage frame 3.
13. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein one of the plurality of doors 17 provides access to more than one of the plurality of lockers 19.
14. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein more than one of the plurality of doors 17 provide access to one of the plurality of lockers 19.
15. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of storage frames 3, wherein the plurality of storage frames 3 are configured to be arranged horizontally and/or arranged vertically within the outer shell 11.
16. The storage system 1 of claim 15, wherein the plurality of storage frames 3 are of different shapes and/or sizes.
17. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, further comprising alignment features configured to align the divider walls 7 of the storage frame 3 with the plurality of doors 17 during insertion into or removal from the outer shell 11.
18. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, further comprising locking features configured to fix the position of the storage frame 3 relative to the outer shell 11 once the storage frame is received in the outer shell 11.
19. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the plurality of doors 17 is fitted with a locking mechanism configured to selectively allow access to one or more of the lockers 19.
20. The storage system 1 of claim 19, further comprising a control system configured to selectively operate the locking mechanism to allow a user to open the one or more doors 17 and access the one or more lockers 19.
21. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the storage frame 3 is configured to hold a plurality of storage containers 25.
22. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the storage frame 3 further comprises external walls 27 such that, when the storage frame 3 is received within the outer shell 11, one or more of the external walls 27 of the storage frame 3 form one or more external walls of one or more of the lockers 19.
23. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the opening 13 of the outer shell 11 is located on a side of the outer shell 11 to allow the storage frame 3 to be inserted into or removed from the outer shell 11 horizontally through the opening 13.
24. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the opening 13 of the outer shell 11 is located on the top of the outer shell 11 to allow the storage frame 3 to be lowered into or lifted out of the outer shell 11 vertically through the opening 13.
25. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the opening 13 of the outer shell 11 is located on the bottom of the outer shell 11 to allow the outer shell 11 to be lowered onto or lifted off the storage frame 3 vertically through the opening 13.
26. The storage system 1 of any preceding claim, wherein the outer shell 11 comprises a loading door 29 configured to selectively permit access to the opening 13.
27. The storage system 1 of claim 26, wherein at least one of the at least one side wall 15 comprises the loading door 29, and the loading door 29 comprises a portion of the plurality of doors 17.
28. A vehicle 31 comprising a vehicle chassis and the storage system 1 of any preceding claim.
29. The vehicle 31 of claim 28, wherein the outer shell 11 of the storage system 1 is configured to be removably mounted on the vehicle chassis.
30. The vehicle 31 of claim 28, wherein the outer shell 11 of the storage system 1 is integral with the vehicle chassis.
31. The vehicle 31 of claim 30, wherein the outer shell 11 of the storage system forms at least a portion of the exterior of the vehicle 31.
32. The vehicle 31 of any of claims 28 to 31, further comprising a vehicle shell 35 configured to enclose the outer shell 11 of the storage system 1.
33. The vehicle 31 of claim 32, wherein the vehicle shell 35 comprises a vehicle door 37 configured to allow access to the plurality of doors 17 of the storage system 1.
34. The vehicle 31 of claim 32 or claim 33, wherein the vehicle shell 35 comprises a vehicle opening 39 for inserting or removing the outer shell 11 of the storage system 1.
35. The vehicle 31 of any of claims 28 to 34, wherein the vehicle 31 is an autonomous vehicle.
36. A method of using the storage system 1 of any of claims 1 to 27, the method comprising the step of inserting the storage frame 3 into the outer shell 11 such that the plurality of sections 9 cooperate with the plurality of doors 17 to define a plurality of lockers 19 bounded by the plurality of divider walls 7 and externally accessible by the plurality of doors 17.
37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of loading one or more storage containers 25 into one or more sections 9 of the storage frame 3 before inserting the storage frame 3 into the outer shell 11.
38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of loading one or more items into the one or more storage containers 25 before loading the one or more storage containers 25 into the one or more sections 9 of the storage frames.