Rack system

(42) Date of commencement of the patent: 15. 4.1997 (45) Date of issue: 25.11.1997 (73) Patent owner:

KNAPP HOLDING GMBH

A-8075 HART AT GRAZ, STYRIA (AT).

(54) SHELVING SYSTEM (57) In a shelving system (1) for receiving and dispensing containers (6), shipping ramps assigned to each customer (3, 3a) arranged side by side and one above the other, at the filling side for automatically feeding the containers (6) to the ramps (3, 3a) for each horizontal row of adjacent ramps (3, 3a) a driven roller conveyor (7) is provided, between the rollers (14) engages a plurality of juxtaposed ramps (3,3a) associated lifting frame (13), which can be pivoted upwards out of the conveying plane defined by the rollers (14).

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AT 403 156

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AT 403 156 Β

The invention relates to a shelving system for receiving and dispensing containers, with juxtaposed and superimposed ramps, on the filling side conveying and filling devices are arranged.

From EP 254 261 B1 a picking system with adjacent and superimposed storage ramps is known, on whose output side a roller conveyor is arranged to connect to the transversely arranged conveyor to supply the picked goods containers. These cross conveyors connect via pivoting units which transfer the goods to delivery belts. The swivel units equipped with rollers are assigned pneumatically pushable stops for stopping the transported goods on the roller conveyor. The goods are assembled here in a specific sequence in the containers.

DE 12 43 106 A1 describes a storage and dispensing device for in-house mechanized storage with ramps on which containers slide from a filling to an output side, and are arranged at which on the filling and discharge side unspecified transport means. On the output side, a collecting device for the container in the form of a pivot lever is provided, which is pivotable out of the plane of the transport upwards. On the filling side, a discharge device is arranged to transfer the containers to the ramps.

In order picking systems, it is also known to pack the items ordered in accordance with the picking orders - in particular in containers - in a dispatch area and to make them available for shipping; The picking orders can be arranged in order, according to their transport, on packing tables etc. be edited and done. The disadvantage here is that no clear, efficient, computer-controlled customer-oriented execution is possible, and that the correct assignment of the container with the picked goods to the individual customers in the shipping area of ​​the attention of the people employed there.

The aim of the invention is to provide a shelving system as stated above, which is used as a shipping shelf system, and where a clear, automatic assignment of the transported, the picked goods container is possible to the individual customer, being also a customer-oriented collecting multiple containers, can correspond to the different picking orders of the respective customer, for a common shipping in an economical way should be possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shipping rack system for receiving and dispensing containers in which the filling of the ramps takes place automatically and in a manner that is gentle on the containers and their contents.

The shelf system according to the invention of the type mentioned is characterized in that a driven roller conveyor is provided as a conveyor for each row of juxtaposed in shelves ramps, between the rollers at least one more juxtaposed ramps associated, known per se pivoting unit engages, from the through the rollers defined conveying plane can be pivoted upwards. As a result of this arrangement, an efficient distribution of containers arriving in rapid succession from a picking installation and containing the picked goods to the respective ramp (s) permanently assigned to a specific customer can be carried out, and shipping shelf systems can thus be realized. from those eg 1500 or 2,000 customers can be supplied. In contrast to other known jerky deflection devices, such as pneumatically operated slide, also takes place in the shipping shelf system according to the invention the deflection - with the help of the pivoting unit - without sudden shock-like action on the container. Before the containers reach these dynamic shipping shelves, they are by means of conventional turnouts, which can be controlled via a computer (namely, the picking system associated computer), vertically transferred to the respective assigned level, so at the right level for the Customer reserved ramp, in each shelf, to drive. At this point, the container is lifted by means of the pivoting unit of the roller conveyor and transferred to the ramp.

The invention is therefore based, on the one hand, on the idea of ​​providing a shelving system in the shipping area as a shipping shelving system, and on the other hand also the measure of assigning to the individual customer own ramps of this shipping shelving system.

It is particularly advantageous if the pivoting unit is formed by a lifting frame, which extends over the width of at least two ramps and is mounted at the transition between the ramps and the roller conveyor. Such a pivotable lifting frame can be realized structurally simple, and with him a plurality of ramps can be easily filled, resulting in reduced construction costs.

For the gentle diversion of the container from the roller conveyor to the ramps, it is also advantageous if the pivoting unit has strips with rollers whose mutually parallel axes of rotation are aligned parallel to the transport direction of the roller conveyor, and their upper side in the lower rest position

AT 403 156 Β lies below the conveying plane of the roller conveyor. Instead of such Röllchenleisten but also simple wear strips can be used, so strips with a top with low friction, so that the containers slide well on them.

Advantageously, the (or each) pivoting unit is driven pneumatically or electrically; This not only allows a clean and quick activation of the pivot unit at the required time, but also results in a small footprint for the drive.

It has also proved to be advantageous if each ramp is associated with a sensor for detecting a container arriving via the roller conveyor. By this measure, the reliability of the arrangement is substantially increased. For this purpose, namely to be able to lift the container in exact assignment to the ramps, can also - in addition to or instead of the container detecting sensors - be provided that the ramps in the range of the conveyor, eg pneumatic, actuatable retaining means, such as stops, are associated with the container. Such mechanical restraint devices have also proven to be advantageous for avoiding unwanted transfer of containers to the ramps.

To increase the capacity of the shipping shelf system is provided in an advantageous development that the pivoting unit is mounted for either an optional filling of both sides of the roller conveyor ramps on both sides in half-shell bearings. As a result, either on both sides of the roller conveyor arranged ramps can be filled with one and the same pivot unit.

According to a preferred embodiment, it is advantageous if two or more pivoting units are each side by side associated with the adjacent ramps of a shelf and thus together correspond to the width of this shelf. Such a design is favorable if, on the one hand, relatively small containers and, on the other, relatively wide shelves are to be used. On the other hand, it is also advantageous if the pivoting unit extends over a width of a shelf, for example with three to seven, preferably five, ramps next to each other. In this way, the shelves and the pivot units can be particularly easily manufactured in modular design.

On the one hand to ensure the fastest possible expiration of BefüIIVorganges and on the other hand to avoid a jam of the containers, the shelves could be arranged at predetermined intervals from each other. The respective distance is - in accordance with the conveying speed of the roller conveyors - also adjusted adapted to the number of ramps per shelf and to the duration of the lifting and lowering of the pivot unit (s).

Preferably de shelves, however, ranked for space directly next to each other.

For easy and rapid manual removal of the container on the output side of the shipping ramps for loading on pallets or directly on a truck, it is further low, if attached to the output side ends of the ramps stops for the containers.

For a simple, nonetheless expedient embodiment of the ramps, it is finally advantageous if the ramps are designed as sloping roller conveyors in continuation of the container tracks defined by the pivoting units and separated by separating webs.

The invention will be further explained with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in the drawing. 1 shows a schematic representation of a mailing shelf system associated with a picking system in plan view; FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a shelf of the mail-order shelf system according to FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of in-plane ramps of such a shipping shelf; and FIG. 4 shows a view of a swiveling unit in the form of a lifting frame for swiveling up containers.

In Fig. 1, 1 generally designates a mail-order shelving system having a plurality of shelves 2a, 2b (two shelves 2a, 2b are shown in Fig. 1), which are spaced apart from each other or preferably, as shown by dashed lines at 2b 'in Fig. 1 is placed directly next to each other. Each shelf 2a, 2b consists of a plurality of side by side and one above the other in a frame arranged ramps 3, which are equipped for example with slideways or preferably with roller conveyors 4 (Figure 2, 3). in the example shown in FIG. 3, two roller conveyors 4 per ramp 3 are provided. On the output side of the ramps 3 and Roller conveyors 4 stops 5 are provided for stopping containers 6, when these, coming from the filling side, roll down along the roller conveyor 4 to the removal side. With 3 'separators between the adjacent ramps 3 are designated (Figure 3).

On the filling side of the adjacent and superimposed ramps 3 or roller conveyors 4 is in each horizontal plane, ie at each level of ramps 3, see. Fig. 2, a roller conveyor 7 provided as a conveyor. These roller conveyors 7 each extend along the ramps 3 and from the shelf, for example 2a, to the shelf, for example 2b. In the example shown in FIG. 2, five rows of ramps 3 are provided one above the other, and accordingly five roller conveyors 7 are arranged one above the other.

AT 403 156 B

In front of the first shelf 2a, a per se conventional turnout is provided to the container 6 respectively to the assigned level (of the example, five levels or Roller conveyors 7 or Rows of ramps 3) to bring. For example, as shown schematically in Figure 1, a height-adjustable inclined conveyor belt 8 are used, which the containers 6, which come via a feeder conveyor belt 9 - not shown in detail - picking, controlled on the formed by the individual roller conveyors 7 levels leads over. At the end of the feeder conveyor belt 9 is, for example a container recognizer 10, such as a bar code reader, is attached. Optionally, in the container recognition device 10, a stop device for the container 6, eg a pivot arm 11, be provided to facilitate the reading process better.

To transfer the container 6 from the roller conveyors 7 on the ramps 3 and whose roller conveyors 4 are pivoting units 12 are provided. These pivoting units 12 can each consist either of a lifting frame 13 per ramp, or of several, either independent or mechanically connected Hubrabmen 13, and they are each associated with a plurality of adjacent ramps 3. In the example shown in FIG. 1, two lifting frames 13 per ramp level are provided in each rack 2 a, 2 b, ie with a pivoting unit 12 or a lifting frame 13, two adjacent ramps 3 can be filled. According to Figure 3, the illustrated shelf 2 'in the respective plane contains two ramps 3, which are filled by means of a common, over the entire shelf width extending lifting frame 13.

In detail, each pivot unit has 12 or each lifting frame 13 roller tracks with between the rollers 14 of the conveyor roller conveyor 7 arranged rollers 15 (Figure 2 to 4), whose mutually parallel axes of rotation parallel to the transport device T (see Figure 1) of the roller conveyor 7 are aligned, and their top in the Rest position of the pivot unit 12 or of the lifting frame 13 below the conveying plane of the roller conveyor 7 is located (see Fig.2 to 4). The rollers 15 are on the lifting frame 13 in strip-shaped transverse webs (not shown) of the same and each form a roller conveyor or strip 16 in continuation of the roller conveyors 4 of the ramps 3 (Figure 2). The lifting frame 13 itself is pivotally mounted at the transition from the roller conveyor 7 to the ramps 3 in a bearing 17 and with a drive 18, for example a pneumatic cylinder or an electric drive, driven to its pivoting. Instead of using the roller tracks 16, the lifting frame 13 can also be equipped with low-friction sliding strips on which the containers 6 slide in order to be driven onto the respective ramp 3.

Each ramp 3 is further associated with a sensor 19, for example a reflex light barrier, for detecting a container 6 arriving via the roller conveyor 7.

1, further shelves 3a are shown with a dot-dash line, which are arranged opposite the shelves 3; these shelves 3a can also be filled by means of the pivoting units 12, Specifically, for this purpose, the lifting frame 13 mounted on both sides in half-shell bearings 17 'and additionally driven by a second pneumatic cylinder or electric drive 18' (of course would be in this case, the right bearing 17 form a half-shell stock, so that either the shelves 3 or the shelves 3a are filled).

In operation, the containers 6 filled with the picked goods reach the container detection device 10 via the conveyor conveyor belt 9, where they are stopped by the pivoting arm 11 and a customer code (eg Bar code) is read. This information is forwarded to a control computer (not shown), which due to this code that ramp 3 or 3a verified, which is associated with the code, and then outputs a control command for the adjustment of the inclined conveyor belt 8, to lift this on the roller conveyor 7 at the level at which the corresponding ramp 3, 3a is mounted. Is the container 6 at this ramp 3 or 3a arrives, it is detected by the connected to the control computer sensor 19, whereupon the control computer issues a command to pivot up that Hubrahmens 13 of this ramp 3 or 3a is assigned. As a result, the container 6 is on the specific customer associated ramp 3 or 3a diverted, and it slides along the roller conveyor 4 down to the stop 5 on the output side, from where it is manually removed and then loaded.

The drive of the roller conveyor 7 can be continuous or clocked, with or without delay or Acceleration of the speed of the rollers 14 before or after actuation of the lifting frame 13, take place. The latter measure (deceleration / acceleration) has the advantage that the container 6 can be stopped exactly at the ramp 3, 3 a to be driven, only to be swung up thereon by the lifting frame 13 and redirected. Additionally or alternatively, at each ramp 3, 3a between two rollers 14, a liftable and lowerable stop may be provided as a retaining means 20 for the incoming container 6. The sensors 19 can simultaneously to initiate a braking delay of the container 6 at

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Stop at the corresponding ramp 3 and 3a are used by controlled reduction of the rotational speed of the rollers 14. Furthermore, sensors can also be arranged within each ramp 3, 3 a, which signal the filling level in order to avoid congestion of the containers 6 on the roller conveyor 7 in the event of overfilling.

As a simple, fast version without sensors 19 and restraints 20 can be provided that the container 6 from the ride on the driven roller conveyor 7 also simply by pivoting the respective Hubrabmens 13 when the container 6 at the right ramp 3, 3a arrived, lifted and on the ramp 3, 3a is controlled. This is possible in particular without any problems if, for example, along the roller conveyor 7 at predetermined intervals, for example corresponding to the shelf widths all 1.5 m to 2 m, trigger sensors 21 are arranged, which allow a review of the container positions in the associated control computer (and optionally a correction of the detected positions), in which case by simply extrapolating, due to the given transport speed of the container 6 the roller conveyor 7, the container positions on the ramps 3, 3a can be specified sufficiently accurately by means of the control computer.

It may also be provided that when a certain ramp 3, 3a associated with a customer is already filled with containers (eg five containers), another (sixth etc.) container 6, eg by a mechanical lock (not shown), is provided. , is prevented from transferring (driving) into this ramp 3, 3a. This further container 6 is then transported on the roller conveyor 7 and finally assigned manually to the customer.