WO2025008038A1

WO2025008038A1 - A shuttle for transporting a pallet inside a facility for breeding insects, a transfer wagon and a facility for breeding insects

Info

Publication number: WO2025008038A1
Application number: PCT/DK2024/050159
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rolf TANGE
Original assignee: Xio AS
Current assignee: Xio AS
Priority date: 2023-07-04
Filing date: 2024-07-03
Publication date: 2025-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2026-01-04
Also published as: DK202370354A1

Abstract

Shuttle (10) for moving a pallet inside an insect breeding facility (100), the shuttle (10) comprising - a support body (12) comprising - a top side (20) for carrying a pallet and an opposite base (22), - a front side (24) and opposite rear side (26) - a first side (28I) and opposite second side (28II) - wheels (30) on the first side and second side (28I, 28II) configured for running on a rail system (110); - a drive system (40) comprising at least one drive motor (42) configured to driving at least one of the wheels (40); - a lift system (50) comprising at least one lift motor (52) configured for displacing the top side (20) relative to wheels (40) between an upper position (58U) and a lower position (58L); - a shuttle comprising a charging coil (60) at an outer face configured for converting magnetic field to electric energy; - a rechargeable battery unit (72) for powering the shuttle (10), the battery unit (72) being connected to charging coil (60) for charging; - a sealed compartment (70) forming part of the support body (12), the sealed com- partment (70) comprising - a controller (76) comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program configured to cause the processor to change the state of the shuttle (10) by activating the lift system (50) be- tween a load carrying state (14), where the top side (22) is in the upper po- sition (58U), and a non-carrying state (16), where the top side (20) is in the lower position (58L).

Description

[A Shuttle for transporting a pallet inside a facility for breeding insects, a transfer wagon and a facility for breeding insects]

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shuttle designed for transporting a pallet inside a facility for breeding insects.

The present invention further relates to a transfer wagon designed to transporting to and from the facility while charging the shuttle.

The present invention further relates to a facility comprising at least one shuttle according to the invention and at least one transfer wagon according to the invention.

Background of the Invention

Insects have excellent growth rates and are much better at converting feed to protein than more traditional domesticated animals. Presently a lot of effort is used for increasing the breeding facilities of various different insects such as black soldier fly larvae or similar types of insects.

Insects such as the black soldier fly larvae can feed on residuals from the food production industries or feed production industries and convert the residuals into healthy and sustainable ingredients for feed and food. Thereby, the overall carbon footprint is lowered.

The black soldier fly larvae furthermore have the characteristics that can eat substrates with a very high water content, which distinguishes it from many other insect species.

The facilities for insect breeding can be built compactly compared to traditional protein production as vertical breeding is possible in boxes on top of standard pallets. However, the compactness also causes the environment in the facility to become very aggressive, i.e. the inside of the facilities will be acidic with a high sulphur content among others. The environment inside the facilities is toxic for humans, while electronics and computer controllers will break very quickly if not protected adequately.

Thus, there is a need for a solution which can safely and reliably place the pallets with larvae inside a breeding facility and which can safely and reliably remove the pallets from said facilities. Object of the Invention

An objective of the present invention is to provide a shuttle capable of withstanding the aggressive environment inside the facility for breeding larvae. Furthermore, the shuttle may be capable of placing the pallets with larvae at predetermined distances in order to maximise production.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a transfer wagon for transporting the shuttle to and from the facility while charging the shuttle.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a facility for breeding larvae comprising at least one shuttle according to the invention and at least one transfer wagon according to the invention.

Description of the Invention

An objective of the invention is achieved by a shuttle for moving a pallet inside an insect breeding facility. The shuttle comprises

- a support body comprising:

- a top side for carrying a pallet and an opposite base,

- a front side and opposite rear side

- a first side and opposite second side

- wheels on the first side and second side configured for running on a rail system;

- a drive system comprising at least one drive motor configured to driving at least one of the wheels;

- a lift system comprising at least one lift motor configured for displacing the top side relative to wheels between an upper position and a lower position;

- wherein the shuttle comprises a charging coil at an outer face configured for generating electric energy via magnetic induction;

- a rechargeable battery unit for powering the shuttle, the battery unit being connected to a charging coil for charging;

- a sealed compartment forming part of the support body.

The sealed compartment comprises a controller comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program configured to cause the processor to change the state of the shuttle by activating the lift system between a load carrying state, where the top side is in the upper position, and a non-carrying state, where the top side is in the lower position. The sealed compartment protects the controller from the aggressive environment inside a facility for breeding larvae. If liquid should someway enter the support body through the top side, front side, rear side, first side or second side then the sealed compartment will prevent the liquid, which may likely be acidic from entering the sealed compartment and damage the controller or rechargeable battery unit. The sealed compartment may be box shaped with sealing rings or elements along each edge of the sealed compartment to further ensure that the sealed compartment is liquid tight.

The controller must be positioned inside the sealed compartment; however, the rechargeable battery unit can be positioned outside the sealed compartment provided that the rechargeable battery unit is adequately protected against the liquid. Preferably, the rechargeable battery unit is positioned inside the sealed compartment since this will enable automatic protection.

The charging coil can be positioned anywhere on the outer face of the support body; however, it is preferred that the charging coil is positioned on the outer face of the base because the charging coil is sensitive equipment and the risk of any liquid splashing against the outer face of the base is less than splashing against the other sides of the support body. The charging coil should be positioned on the outer side to reduce distance to a magnetic field generator in order to get a sufficient power transfer.

Thus, in one aspect the charging coil is arranged at an outer face of the base.

In another aspect the charging coil is arranged outside the sealed compartment.

In yet another aspect, the charging coil may be placed at an outer face in the surface of the base outside the sealed compartment.

In the embodiment where the rechargeable battery unit is positioned inside the sealed compartment, the charging coil is preferably positioned at the base with a power line extending inside the sealed compartment through an aperture, where the power line is connected for charging the rechargeable battery unit. The aperture can be sealed by a sealing element, however, this is not required as the risk of a splash of liquid entering the sealed compartment is very small. However, the sealing element in the aperture will prevent or reduce build-up of liquid or sulphur inside the sealed compartment. Other components may also be positioned inside the sealed compartment, however, this is not required as motors and the like can be built sufficiently tight for them to be used in the environment inside the facility for breeding larvae.

The support body and the sealing compartment may have sides made of stainless steel as stainless steel has excellent resistance against acidic environments.

The drive system may drive two, three, four or more wheels. In general, the possible traction will increase with the number of wheels being driven which will decrease the risk of the wheels slipping due to various material on the rail system.

The difference between the lower position and the upper position of the top side must be such that the top side in the upper position is above two load carrying beams parallel to the rail system and the lower position is below the two load carrying beams such that the pallet is placed on the two load carrying beams when the state of a shuttle carrying a pallet is changed from the load carrying state to the non-carrying state. Furthermore, the shuttle may engage a pallet by moving in under the pallet before changing state from the non-carrying state to the load carrying state. The height difference needed thus depends on the design of the rail system, but the skilled person would be able to adjust the shuttle accordingly without changing the spirit of the invention.

The top side will lift a pallet with a container having feed and eggs and/or larvae. The container is not as such part of the invention and can be any known container capable of being positioned on a pallet such as a standard EURO-pallet or another standard of a pallet. The weight of the EURO-pallet with the container can be up to 1 ,500 kg.

The pallet may bend slightly due to the weight and thus the top side may have a height difference between the first and second side, where the top side is highest at or near the first and second side and while the top side is lower in the centre between the first side and the second side to accommodate for possible bending of the pallet.

In one aspect, the sealed compartment may comprise sidewalls acting to stabilise the shuttle and further support the support body of the shuttle. The sidewalls will provide additional strength to the shuttle especially when the sidewalls are substantially perpendicular to the base and top side. The sidewalls may extend from the base to the top side. The connection between the base and the sidewalls may include a sealing element to increase the liquid tightness of the sealed compartment.

The base may form part of the sealed compartment.

The sealed compartment has a sealed lid connected to the sidewalls and there may be a sealing element between the sealed lid and the sidewalls.

In one aspect, the shuttle may comprise at least one scraper positioned in front of one of the wheels and being adapted to scrape matter away from a rail to ensure better grip between the wheel and the rail.

Matter from the breeding may accumulate on the rails, this may include liquid. This may cause or increase the risk of the wheels slipping. Thus, the scraper will by removing matter increase the reliability of the shuttle.

Preferably there is a scraper extending from the front side and the rear side on both the first side and the second side such that the rails in front of the wheels have any matter scraped away no matter which direction the shuttle moves. If the facility is so designed that the shuttle will only move in one direction, it is only required that the front side of the shuttle is equipped with a scraper on the first side and the second side.

In some embodiments, the scraper is made of plastic or rubber. The scraper will wear over time and thus the scraper may be replaceable.

The scraper may be non-parallel and non-perpendicular relative to the rotation axis of the wheels driven by the drive system i.e. the scraper is non-parallel to the rails during use such that matter is guided away from the rails. The angle between the scraper and the rotation axis of the rails may be 15-75 degrees, or 30-60 degrees or 45 degrees.

In another embodiment, the scraper may be a set of bristles arranged between two wheels on the first side and/or the second side, the bristles are configured for cleaning left over matter from the rails.

In one aspect, the shuttle may comprise a distance sensor positioned on the front side and/or rear side, wherein the controller being in communication with the distance sensor and the stored program is further configured to control the drive system as a function of data from the distance sensor.

The distance sensor is mainly an alarm system used for detecting if there is an object where there should not be an object. The object may be a person, a pallet, or a shuttle. The distance sensor may be a radar, lidar or infrared sensor. In most cases, the distance sensor is a radar.

One advantage of a radar sensor is that it can withstand debris from the breeding accumulating on the sensor surface and still function as a distance sensor.

In one aspect, the shuttle may comprise an indicator sensor configured to detecting periodic indicators on the rail system, wherein the stored program is further configured to control the drive system as a function of data from the indicator sensor.

In one embodiment the periodic indicators may be holes arranged in the rail system and the indicator sensor may be a light emitting diode and a light sensor configured to detect periodic indicators in the rail system. In a further embodiment, the light emitting diode is an infrared diode and the light sensor is an infrared sensor.

In another embodiment the periodic indicators may be a magnetic part such as a magnet and the indicator sensor may be a magnetic sensor such as a Hall effect sensor.

When the periodic indicators are detected, the stored program records the number of periodic indicators detected and determines a rail position of the shuttle on the rail system.

Rail system shall be interpreted broadly as the periodic indicators can be placed between the two rails of the rail system such as on the ground or surface below the rails of the rail system.

In an aspect, the shuttle may comprise a shaft or wheel RPM-detector for determining rotations of the drive motor, the stored program is further configured to determine a rail position as a function of data from the shaft or wheel RPM-detector.

In one embodiment the RPM-detector may be an encoder arranged on the one or more wheelshafts or on the motor driving the shaft. In one embodiment, the stored program can combine the data from the indicator sensor with the data from the RPM-detector, and/or the data from the distance sensor according to any one of the herein disclosed embodiments to improve the determination of the rail position and/or the position of other pallets or shuttles in the rail system.

One advantageous effect of combining the data from one or more sensors is that if one sensor has an outage or erroneous data, the controller and stored program is still capable of determining the rail position. Furthermore, should the wheels spin due debris on the rail the correlation between rotation of the shaft of wheels and displacement of the shuttle is lost and the shuttle is in a relative unknown position, however, the shuttle may move forward or backwards until an indication is detected, thereby the position is reset and the shaft or wheel rotation can be used to determine a position of the shuttle.

The shaft or wheel RPM-detector may be a shaft and/or wheel RPM-detector as there is a direct correlation between the shaft rotations and the wheels rotations.

In one aspect, the computer program may further be configured to cause the processor to position a pallet at a pre-set distance to a stored pallet as a function of data from the indicator sensor and optionally data from the shaft or wheel RPM-detector. The controller having received a position for positioning of the pallet, this position will be with a pre-set distance to the stored pallet which has been stored at an earlier time. The position could be provided as three rail indicators and 0.5 m which is then equal to a number of shaft rotations or wheel rotations. The shaft or wheel RPM-detector is not required as the shuttle moves at a constant speed and the 0.5 m can be converted to a drive period after the third indicator.

The resulting position has a smaller variance relative to the instructed position compared to solutions which do not utilize a detector for detecting indicators on the rail system. As the shaft and/or wheel has a relatively small circumference, a small variance will cause a big variance to the actual position compared to the received position.

In one aspect, the drive system may be configured to rotate two wheel-shafts extending from the first side to the second side, wherein each wheel shaft comprises a wheel at the first side and the second side.

In one embodiment the drive system may comprise a drive motor for each wheel shaft. The controller and computer program may be configured to drive the drive motors synchronously and/or asynchronously, thereby enabling a four-wheel drive shuttle. One advantageous effect of providing a four-wheel drive is that traction is improved and the risk of the wheels slipping is reduced. Furthermore, in the case where one wheel spin or two wheels connected to the same shaft spin, data from the other wheels can still be used to determine the position of the shuttle provided that the wheels did not spin.

One advantage of the drive system comprising at least two motors is that the amount of chain and gearing required is reduced, thereby saving weight, space, complexity and cost of the drive system. One further advantageous effect is that the required power and/or torque of the drive motor is reduced as the load is less for each motor.

In an aspect, the lift system may comprise one or more eccentric sheaves rotatable by the at least one lift motor, wherein the top side is mechanically connected to the one or more eccentric sheaves. This enables a controlled displacement of the top side such that the pallet and the boxes stacked on the pallet do not accidentally tip. The more stable the top side can be displaced, the higher the pallet can be stacked, i.e. the higher the centre of mass can be.

In an embodiment, the lift system comprises a pair of eccentric sheaves close to opposite sides of the shuttle, i.e. one sheave close to the front side and one sheave close to the rear side or one sheave close to the first side and one sheave close to the second side. A lift shaft is connected to each of the eccentric sheaves, such that the rotation of one eccentric sheave causes the rotation of the other eccentric sheave. The eccentric sheaves are connected to the top side and rotation of the sheaves causes displacement of the top side.

In another embodiment, the lift system comprises two pairs of eccentric sheaves close to opposite sides of the shuttle, wherein the two pairs of eccentric sheaves are preferably positioned at opposite sides of the shuttle, thereby the displacement becomes more stable.

The lift motor of the lift system may be operationally connected to both pairs of eccentric sheaves such that the lift system moves in unison and the top side is displaced without the top side tipping. The connection may be via two chains. The motor drives a motor shaft which is preferably positioned with the same distance to the eccentric sheaves.

The lift motor may be positioned inside the sealed compartment with the motor shaft extending to the outside of the sealed compartment, wherein the part of the motor shaft outside the sealed compartment is operationally connected to one or two eccentric sheaves, wherein the operational connection may be via chains. An objective of the invention is achieved by a transfer wagon configured for transporting the shuttle to and from a rail system while charging the shuttle according to any of the preceding embodiments. The transfer wagon comprises

- two wagon rails for supporting the wheels of the shuttle;

- a power source for powering the transfer wagon or a power connector for connecting with a power source;

- a wagon drive unit configured to move the transfer wagon; and

- means for generating an oscillating magnetic field for charging the shuttle.

Thereby, the transfer wagon can transfer the shuttle according to the invention to and from the breeding facility while charging the shuttle such that downtime is reduced as much as possible.

The transfer wagon may include means for extending rails from the two wagon rails to engage rails of a breeding facility or to displace the two wagon rails to engage rails of a breeding facility, thereby the transfer wagon is not required to position exactly at the rails of a breeding facility as this would also increase risk of collision.

An objective of the invention is achieved by a facility for breeding larvae such as Black Soldier Fly larvae, the facility comprising:

- a closed off breeding room comprising a gate for insertion of pallets;

- a rail system comprising a set of rails extending from said gate along a rail pathway, the set of rails being adapted for transportation of pallets along said set of rails and storage of pallets on said set of rails;

- at least one shuttle according to the invention configured for movement along the set of rails for moving pallets;

- a transfer wagon for transportation of the at least one shuttle to and from the gate, the transfer wagon being according to the invention.

The rail system may be a modular system comprising rails and support legs adapted to support the rails, each support leg extending from a base plateau to a top plateau, wherein each rail is configured to be supported by at least two support legs.

Each rail comprising a load face and a transport face being substantially parallel to each other, an inner side barrier extending from the transport face, and an outer side barrier extending from the load face. Each support leg comprising, at a first side, a seam at an intermediate plateau between the base plateau and the top plateau, and at the first side comprises one or more inner side hooks arranged between the intermediate plateau and the base plateau and/or one or more grooves at the top plateau.

The rails are adapted to be arranged onto the support legs with the load face resting on the support legs at the top plateau and the transport face resting on the seam.

Furthermore, the inner side barrier is adapted to interlock with one or more of the inner side hooks and/or the outer side barrier is adapted to interlock with the groove, so that a self-locking rail system is achieved.

The support legs may be achieved by a kit for assembly into a support leg for supporting a rail.

The kit comprises a first part with a lower end, an opposing upper end, a first side edge and an opposing second side edge, said first part comprising one or more inner side hooks at the first side edge and a recess at the first side edge arranged above the one or more hooks,

The kit further comprises a second part with a lower end, an opposing upper end, a first side edge and an opposing second side edge, said second part comprising one or more inner side hooks at the first side edge and a recess at the first side edge arranged above the one or more hooks.

Furthermore, the kit comprises an angle piece with a first face comprising two or more first hook apertures complementary to the one or more inner side hooks and comprising a second face complementary to the recesses and configured to be arranged in a supported way on top of the recesses for forming a seam on the leg.

The hook apertures are configured to receive and interlock with one or more of the inner side hooks of the first part and the second part so that the angle piece interlocks with the first part and the second part.

Description of the Drawing

Various examples are described hereinafter with reference to the figures. Eike reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Like elements will not be described in detail with respect to the description of each figure. It should also be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the examples. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the claimed invention or as a limitation on the scope of the claimed invention. In addition, an illustrated example need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. An aspect or an advantage described in conjunction with a particular example is not necessarily limited to that example and can be practiced in any other examples even if not so illustrated, or if not so explicitly described.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a shuttle arranged on a rail system.

Fig. 2A illustrates a top view of one embodiment of the support body of the shuttle.

Fig. 2B illustrates an inside view of one embodiment of the support body of the shuttle with the top side removed.

Fig. 3A illustrates a top view of one embodiment the shuttle with the top side removed.

Fig. 3B illustrates a bottom view of one embodiment of the shuttle.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cup for holding a charging coil.

Fig. 5A illustrates a side view and inside view of one embodiment of the shuttle.

Fig. 5B illustrates another side view and inside view of one embodiment of the shuttle. Fig. 5C illustrates an outside view of one embodiment of the side of the shuttle in the non-carrying state.

Fig. 5D illustrates an outside view of one embodiment of the side of the shuttle in the load carrying state.

Fig. 6A illustrates one embodiment of the shuttle.

Fig. 6B illustrates a close-up view of one embodiment of the indicator sensor.

Fig. 7A illustrates one embodiment of a transfer wagon.

Fig. 7B illustrates one embodiment of a shuttle arranged in the transfer wagon.

Fig. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the shuttle and the transfer wagon.

Fig. 9 illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of a facility.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Exemplary examples will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this regard, the present examples may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the examples are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects.

Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as being “connected” to another element, the element is “directly connected” to the other element, “electrically connected”, “flu- idically connected” or “communicatively connected” to the other element with one or more intervening elements interposed there between.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the terms “comprises" "comprising" "includes" and/or "including" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined in the present specification.

Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of a shuttle 10 arranged on a rail system 110. The shuttle 10 comprises a support body 12, the support body 12 comprising:

- a top side 20 for carrying a pallet and an opposite base 22,

- a front side 24 and an opposite rear side 26, and

- a first side 281 and an opposite second side 2811.

The front side 24, rear side 26, first side 281 and second side 2811 are arranged perpendicular to the top side 20 and the base 22.

The rail system 110 comprises a rail 114 arranged on the outside of the first side 281 and the second side 2811. The rail system 110 further comprises periodic indicators 112 and a load carrying beam 116. The load carrying beam 116 is a surface above the rail 114 which is configured for holding a pallet when the pallet is deposited for storage by the chute 10.

The front side 24 and rear side 26 comprises at least one scraper 80 configured for sweeping the rails 114 clear of debris or dirt. The scraper 80 may be made in a soft material and/or be mounted to the shuttle in a flexible manner. The scraper 80 may also comprise bristles for cleaning the rails 114.

The front side 24 and rear side 26 further comprises a distance sensor 32, a light unit 92 and a pallet sensor 94. The distance sensor 32 is configured for measuring a position of the shuttle 10 on the rail system 110. The distance sensor in this embodiment is a radar sensor. The light unit 92 is configured for visually indicating the chute 10 to avoid collision and accidents. The pallet sensor 94 is configured to detect if the chute 10 is positioned below a pallet, the pallet sensor 94 may be a distance sensor, such as a light or acoustic sensor, or it may be a mechanical switch which is terminated when a pallet is above the shuttle or rests on the top side 20,

The shuttle 19 is in this illustration configured in a non-carrying state 16, where the top side 20 is in a lower position 58L. In this state and position, the shuttle 10 cannot transport a pallet because the top side 20 is a distance below the load carrying beams 116. Figure 2A illustrates a top view of one embodiment of the support body 12 of the shuttle 10 with the top side 20 removed and with the shuttle 10 in the non-carrying state 16. The shuttle 10 comprises:

- four wheels 30,

- an indicator sensor 36,

- two drive systems 40,

- a lift system 50, and

- a sealed compartment 70 forming a part of the support body 12.

The drive system 40 comprises at least one drive motor 42 configured to drive at least one wheel 30 with a wheel-shaft 44. In this embodiment the shuttle 10 comprises two drive motors 42 and two wheel- shafts 44, each driving two wheels 30 placed on opposite sides, the opposite sides being the first side 281 and the second side 2811. The wheels 30 are configured to drive forwards and backwards on the rail 114. The drive system 40 also comprises a shaft or wheel RPM-detector used to measure a driving speed and/or driving distance of the wheels 30, the measured speed and distance can be used to determine the shuttle’s position on the rail system 110.

In this embodiment, the wheels 30 are arranged outside the surface of the first side 281 and the second side 2811. In another embodiment the wheels 30 are arranged flush with the surface of the first side 281 and the second side 2811, and an opening in the two sides are configured so the wheels 30 can drive along the rail 114.

The shown embodiment has sidewheels 31 adapted to prevent collision of the first side or the second side with the rails. The sidewheels 31 in the shown embodiment the sidewheels can rotate freely and are not driven by any motor. The sidewheels could be driven by one or more motors.

The first side 281 and second side 2811 comprises an indicator sensor 36, the indicator sensor is configured to detect periodic indications 112 in the rail system 110. By detecting the periodic indications 112, the shuttle 10 can determine its position on the rail system 110. Figure 2B illustrates an inside view of one embodiment of the support body 12 of the shuttle 10 with the top side 20 removed. The inside view illustrates the inside of the sealed compartment 70. The sealed compartment 70 comprises

- a lift motor 52,

- a rechargeable battery unit 72,

- a controller 74,

- sidewalls 76, and

- a charging coil 60.

The sealed compartment 70 is sealed in a liquid tight manner so that moist and/or dust and/or matter from breeding insects cannot enter the compartment 70 and compromise electronic or electromechanical components by e.g. shorting out the electric connections or clogging moving parts. Especially the rotating shafts are sealed with rotary shaft seals. In one embodiment the rotary shaft seals comprise a rubber ring, similar to a standard O-ring, with a hollow inner grove, wherein a metal circle spring is provided around the grove surrounding the shaft, the metal circle spring is configured to hold the rotary shaft seals onto the shafts and provide a seal while enabling the shaft to rotate.

The lift motor 52 drives the lift system 50 arranged outside of the sealed compartment 70. The lift system 50 comprises a chain drive connected to two eccentric sheaves 54 arranged in parallel with the lift system 50. When the chain drive is rotated in either direction, the two eccentric sheaves 54 also rotate and then cause the top side 20 to be lifted or lowered depending on the direction of the rotation. The chain drive is further connected to a rod arranged perpendicular to the chain drive which rotates a second eccentric sheave arranged at an opposite side of the eccentric sheaves 54, so that the top side 20 is lifted at four positions thereby ensuring a stable lifting process.

The rechargeable battery unit 72 is connected to the charging coil 60 and configured to be charged when the charging coil 60 generates electric energy via magnetic induction. The charging coil 60 is preferably arranged near or on the base 22, so that a distance between the charging coil 60 and a transmitting coil is optimised for obtaining the most efficient wireless power transmission. Figure 3A illustrates a top view of one embodiment the shuttle 10 with the top side 20 removed. The illustration shows a gearing and chain drive of the lift system 50. In this view, it is clear that the sprockets connected to the drive motor 42 and the wheel-shaft 44 are not connected to the gearing and chain drive of the lift system 50 or the eccentric sheave 54.

Figure 3B illustrates a bottom view of one embodiment of the shuttle 10. The bottom view illustrates the placement of the charging coil 60 in the surface of the base 22. In another aspect, the charging coil 60 may be placed on an inside side of the base 22, and a part of the base 22 below the charging coil 60 may be made of a non-conductive or non-magnetic material, so that the wireless transmission of electric energy is not compromised.

Figure 4 illustrates a cup 64 for holding a charging coil 60. The cup 64 is also shown in figure 2B and 3A. The cup 64 has an aperture 66 such that the charging coil can be connected to a rechargeable battery. The cup 64 has several holes for receiving bolts such that the cup 64 can be connected to a side of the shuttle 10 such as the base 22 of the shuttle 10. The cup 64 is placed on the inside of the shuttle 10, thereby the charging coil 60 is protected by the sides of the shuttle 10.

In figure 2B and 3A, the cup 64 is attached to the bottom of the sealed compartment 70, wherein the base 20 has a hole complementary to the cup 64 such that the cup 64 can be attached to the inside of the base 20. The aperture 66 can be sealed using a suitable sealing unit.

Figure 5A illustrates a side view and inside view of one embodiment of the shuttle 10. When the lift motor 52 is driven in the clockwise direction the eccentric sheaves 54 lift the top side 20 to a load carrying state 14, and when the lift motor 52 is driven in the counter-clockwise direction the eccentric sheaves 54 lower the top side 20 to the noncarrying state 16. Figure 5B illustrates another side view and inside view of one embodiment of the shuttle 10, from the opposite side of figure 5A.

For both figure 5A and 5B it is emphasised that the eccentric sheaves 54 are not connected to two vertical gearings arranged on the outside side of the eccentric sheaves 54. The two vertical gearings are part of the drive system 40 and connected to the drive motors 42, wheel-shafts 44 and wheels 30.

Figure 5C illustrates an outside view of one embodiment of the side 28 of the shuttle 10 in the non-carrying state 16 where the top side 20 is in the lower position 58L.

Figure 5D illustrates an outside view of one embodiment of the side 28 of the shuttle 10, where the shuttle 10 is configured in a load carrying state 14 where the top side 20 is lifted to the upper position 58U by the lift system 50. The load carrying state 14 is indicated by the dashed lines. When the top side 20 is lifted the wheels 30 remain at the same height and the shuttle 10 is able to drive in both directions on the rails 114 of the rail system 110.

Figure 6A illustrates one embodiment of the shuttle 10, where on the top side 20 two stop units 96 are arranged on an edge of the top side 20 and the front side 24 or rear side 26. The stop units 96 are configured to touch a vertical side of the pallet when the shuttle 10 is positioned directly below the pallet in the non-carrying state 16 or when the shuttle 10 is carrying a pallet and is near a stored pallet on the rails 114.

Figure 6B illustrates a close-up view of one embodiment of the indicator sensor 36, where the indicator sensor 36 comprises a light sensor and one or more light emitting diodes. The light sensor is configured for measuring the reflected light from the one or more light emitting diodes. When the indicator sensor 36 is opposite a periodic indicator 112, the light sensor detects the periodic indicator 112 by detecting a difference in the reflected light from the one or more light emitting diodes. Thereby, the controller can detect the position of the shuttle 10 by counting the number of periodic indicators 112 passed or by detecting different shapes of periodic indicators 112. The light emitting diodes and indicator sensor 36 may be infrared diodes and sensors. In another embodiment the periodic indicator 112 is a light emitting diode.

Figure 7A illustrates one embodiment of a transfer wagon 120, wherein the transfer wagon 120 is configured for driving on a gate 130 (not illustrated in this figure) with wagon wheels 122. The transfer wagon 120 comprises wagon rails 124 and means 62 for generating an oscillating magnetic field for charging the shuttle 10. Figure 7B illustrates one embodiment of a shuttle 10 arranged in the transfer wagon 120. The shuttle 10 can drive onto the transfer wagon from the rails 114 by rolling the wheels 30 onto the wagon rails 124.

Figure 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the shuttle 10 and the transfer wagon 120. When the shuttle 10 is arranged on the transfer wagon 120, the rechargeable battery unit 72 of the shuttle 10 can be charged through the charging coil 60 arranged over the means 62.

Figure 9 illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of a facility 100, the facility 100 comprises a closed-off room. Inside the closed-off room a gate 118 for insertion of pallets 130 and multiple rail systems 110 are arranged. The rail system comprises a set of rails 114 extending from the gate 118 along a rail pathway.

At least one shuttle 10 according to any one of the herein disclosed embodiments is arranged on a rail system 110.

At least one transfer wagon 120 according to any one of the herein disclosed embodiments is arranged on the gate 118. The gate 118 comprises a set of secondary rails arranged perpendicular to the rail systems 110.

The shuttle 10 and/or the transfer wagon 120 are configured to transport the pallets 130 between the gate 118 and the rail systems 110. The pallets 130 may also be stored on the rail systems 110 in any one position by the shuttle 10. The shuttle 10 is configured to drive onto the transfer wagon 120 for being moved by the transfer wagon and/or for being recharged. As such, the wagon rails 124 are arranged at the same height as the rails 114.

Claims

1. Shuttle (10) for moving a pallet inside an insect breeding facility (100), the shuttle (10) comprising

- a support body (12) comprising

- a top side (20) for carrying a pallet and an opposite base (22),

- a front side (24) and opposite rear side (26)

- a first side (281) and opposite second side (2811)

- wheels (30) on the first side and second side (281, 2811) configured for running on a rail system (110);

- a drive system (40) comprising at least one drive motor (42) configured to driving at least one of the wheels (30);

- a lift system (50) comprising at least one lift motor (52) configured for displacing the top side (20) relative to wheels (30) between an upper position (58U) and a lower position (58L);

- a shuttle comprising a charging coil (60) configured for generating electric energy via magnetic induction;

- a rechargeable battery unit (72) for powering the shuttle (10), the battery unit (72) being connected to the charging coil (60) for charging;

- a sealed compartment (70) forming part of the support body (12), the sealed compartment (70) comprising

- a controller (76) comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program configured to cause the processor to change the state of the shuttle (10) by activating the lift system (50) between a load carrying state (14), where the top side (22) is in the upper position (58U), and a non-carrying state (16), where the top side (20) is in the lower position (58L), wherein the charging coil (60) is arranged at an outer face of the base (22).

2. Shuttle (10) according to claim 1 , wherein the charging coil (60) is arranged outside the sealed compartment (70).

3. Shuttle (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealed compartment (70) comprises sidewalls (76) acting to stabilise the shuttle (10) and further support the support body (12) of the shuttle (10).

4. Shuttle (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the shuttle (10) comprises at least one scraper (80) positioned in front of one of the wheels (30) and being adapted to scrape matter away from a rail (114) to ensure better grip between the wheel (30) and the rail.

5. Shuttle (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the shuttle (10) comprises a distance sensor (32) positioned on the front side (24) and/or rear side (26), wherein the controller (74) is in communication with the distance sensor (32) and the stored program is further configured to control the drive system (40) as a function of data from the distance sensor (32).

6. Shuttle (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the shuttle (10) comprises an indicator sensor (36) configured to detecting periodic indicators (112) on the rail system (110), wherein the stored program is further configured to control the drive system (40) as a function of data from the indicator sensor (36).

7. Shuttle (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the shuttle (10) comprises a shaft or wheel RPM-detector (34) for determining rotations of the drive motor (42), the stored program is further configured to determine a rail position as a function of data from the shaft RPM-detector (34).

8. Shuttle (10) according to claim 7, wherein the computer program is further configured to cause the processor to position a pallet (130) at a pre-set distance to a stored pallet (130) as a function of data from the indicator sensor (36) and optionally data from the shaft or wheel RPM- detector (34).

9. Shuttle (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the drive system (40) is configured to rotate two wheel-shafts (44) extending from the first side (281) to the second side (2811), wherein each wheel shaft (44) comprises a wheel (30) at the first side and the second side (281,2811).

10. Shuttle (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lift system (50) comprises one or more eccentric sheaves (54) rotatable by the at least one lift motor (52), wherein the top side (20) is mechanically connected to the one or more eccentric sheaves (54).

11. A transfer wagon (120) configured for transporting the shuttle (10) to and from a rail system (110) while charging the shuttle according to any of the preceding claims, the transfer wagon (120) comprises

- two wagon rails (124) for supporting the wheels (30) of the shuttle (10); - a power source for powering the transfer wagon or a power connector for connecting with a power source;

- a wagon drive unit configured to move the transfer wagon (120); and

- means (62) for generating an oscillating magnetic field for charging the shuttle (10).

12. A facility (100) for breeding larvae such as Black Soldier Fly larvae, the facility (100) comprising

- a closed-off breeding room comprising a gate (118) for insertion of pallets (130);

- a rail system (110) comprising a set of rails (114) extending from said gate (118) along a rail pathway, the set of rails being adapted for transportation of pallets (130) along said set of rails and storage of pallets (130) on said set of rails (114);

- at least one shuttle (10) according to any of claims 1-10 configured for movement along the set of rails for moving pallets;

- a transfer wagon (120) for transportation of the at least one shuttle to and from the gate (118), the transfer wagon (120) being according to claim 11.