Abstract:
An order picker for preparing orders that includes a motor-driven mobile chassis, a platform, an elevator for elevating the platform relative to the chassis, a load support tray for supporting loads, and a safety guardrail around the periphery of the platform. The tray is secured to a movable portion of the guardrail that moves in translation along a longitudinal axis of the order picker between a first position, in which the movable portion extends to a first greater distance from a front edge of a deck of the platform, and a second position, at a second lesser distance from the front edge and wherein the tray is movable between a first position extending horizontally above the deck when the moving portion is in the first position thereof and a second position, in which the tray is folded into a substantially vertical position when the moving portion is in the second position thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an order picker for preparing orders, which order picker comprises a motor-driven mobile chassis, a platform, elevator means for elevating the platform relative to the chassis, a load support tray, and a guardrail. 
     2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
     In places where goods are stored, such as warehouses or superstores, it is common to use motor-driven order pickers mainly for transporting goods from a place of storage to a place of packaging or of delivery. Such a picker is equipped with a transporter tray that is designed for handling goods, and that is optionally of adjustable height, and such a picker is generally reserved for use by one person. Such order pickers must be compact in order to fit between the shelving and pass other order pickers going the other way. Such an order picker can also have an elevating platform making it possible to access goods stored in vertical storage spaces. 
     In order to perform maintenance or installation at heights, it is common to use a vehicle having an elevator platform on which two people can stand and work together. 
     No vehicle exists that combines the two above-mentioned uses, namely both preparing orders and also working at heights, making it possible to accommodate one person or two people, depending on the desired use, under optimum safety conditions and while preserving compactness compatible with traveling between shelving or inside an industrial warehouse. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
     An object of the invention is to remedy those drawbacks by providing a novel order picker having a platform that offers space adaptable to various uses, by one person or by two people. 
     To this end, the invention provides an order picker for preparing orders, which order picker comprises a motor-driven mobile chassis, a platform, elevator means for elevating the platform relative to the chassis, a load support tray for supporting loads in the vicinity of the platform, and a safety guardrail around the periphery of the platform. Said order picker is characterized in that the tray is secured to a portion of the guardrail that is movable in translation, along a longitudinal axis of the order picker, between a first position, in which the moving portion extends at a first distance from a front edge of the deck of the platform, and a second position, in which the moving portion extends at a second distance from the front edge, in that the first distance is strictly greater than the second distance, in that the tray is movable between a first position, in which it extends horizontally above the deck of the platform, and a second position, in which it is folded away in a substantially vertical position, in that the tray is in its first position when the moving portion is in its first position, and in that the tray is in its second position when the moving portion is in its second position. 
     By means of the invention, the order picker can be adapted to use by one person or by two people, the safety of the person or of the people being ensured in both configurations. In addition, the compactness of the order picker is preserved in both configurations by means of the possibility of folding the tray away in the configuration in which two people are standing on the platform, making it possible to avoid bulky portions of the order picker extending beyond the platform. Such protruding portions could hinder the possibilities for movement of the order picker in a storage place, and could adversely affect the balance of the order picker. 
     In advantageous but non-essential aspects of the invention, such an order picker may incorporate one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in any technically feasible combination:
         The first distance has a value lying in the range ¼ of the longitudinal dimension of the platform to ⅔ of said longitudinal dimension of the platform, while the second distance has a value strictly less than ¼ of the longitudinal dimension of the platform.   The moving portion of the guardrail includes a front frame on which the tray is mounted, while said front frame is connected to the stationary portion of the guardrail by hinged levers that are movable between a first position corresponding to the first position of the moving portion and a second position corresponding to the second position of the moving portion.   A first end of each lever is hinged to the front frame, while the second end of each lever is hinged to the stationary portion of the guardrail and is adapted to slide, in a substantially vertical direction, in a runner that is secured to the stationary portion of the guardrail.   Each runner is provided with a locking notch that is adapted to receive the second end of a lever and to prevent said lever from sliding in said runner.   The tray is mounted to pivot relative to the front frame about a horizontal axis of the order picker.   It further comprises at least one retractable extension adapted to provide an additional transport surface extending beyond the platform.   The or each retractable extension is adapted to be received, in a retracted configuration, in a recess situated under the deck of the platform.   The or each retractable extension is provided with rollers having their longitudinal axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and to a vertical axis of the order picker.   The height of the tray relative to the deck of the platform is adjustable.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       The invention can be better understood and other advantages of the invention appear more clearly from the following description of an embodiment of an order picker of the invention, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a an order picker of the invention, in a configuration in which the tray extends above a portion of the deck of the platform; 
         FIG. 2  is a view analogous to  FIG. 1 , in a configuration in which the tray is folded away, and a moving portion of the guardrail extends in the vicinity of an edge of the deck of the platform; 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the order picker in a configuration comparable to  FIG. 1  and in which the platform is elevated relative to the chassis; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the order picker in the configuration of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a view seen looking along arrow V of  FIG. 1  and on a larger scale showing a portion of the order picker in the configuration of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a view of the detail VI of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a view analogous to  FIG. 5 , in the  FIG. 2  configuration. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     The order picker  2  shown in the figures includes a chassis  4  equipped with a front set of wheels  6  and with a rear set of wheels  8 . The picker  2  is suitable for moving by rolling on a plane floor represented by a plane P S . A longitudinal axis of the chassis  4  is referenced X-X′. An axis perpendicular to the axis X-X′ and parallel to the plane P S  is referenced Y-Y′. 
     The chassis  4  is equipped with a motor (not shown) making it possible to move the picker  2 . The drive is transmitted to the front set of wheels  6 . The order picker  2  has a steering transmission to the rear wheels  8  that is not shown in the drawings. 
     On a top face  42 , the chassis  4  has a telescopic mast  10  for elevating a platform  12  that is secured to its top end. The mast  10  makes it possible selectively to elevate the platform to a working height of 6 meters, and to allow one person or two people to perform work, in particular on ceilings or on shelving at heights. 
     The telescopic mast  10  is made up of three stage segments  10   1 ,  10   2 ,  10   3  along a longitudinal axis Z-Z′ perpendicular to the plane P S , between the face  42  and the platform  12  secured to the segment  10   3 . The segments  10   2  and  10   3  are adapted to slide in the segment  10   1 , in a manner such that only the segment  10   1  is visible when the platform is in the low position. 
     The platform  12  has a deck  122  from which a guardrail  14  extends upwards. In the vicinity of the front set of wheels  6 , the deck  122  has a front edge  124 . The guardrail  14  has a rear frame  142  secured to a control station  144  that forms a junction between the segment  10   3  of the mast  10  and the platform  12 , and that makes it possible, in addition to controlling the elevation of the platform  12 , to control movement of the control picker  2 , and to control other features. The guardrail  14  also has two side frames  146  and  148  extending parallel to the axis X-X′ and secured to the rear frame  142 . Finally, the guardrail  14  includes a front frame  150  secured to the side frames  146  and  148 . 
     Each of the four frames  142 ,  146 ,  148 , and  150  is made up of a plurality of section-member segments connected together by welding or by bolting. 
     Each of the side frames  146  and  148  is formed in two portions, so that said side frames have two first portions  152  and  154  secured to the rear frame  142 , and two retractable second portions  156  and  158 . Each of the first portions  152  and  154  has a side access enabling the people using the order picker  2  to climb aboard the platform, and to alight from it. Each of the first portions  152  and  154  has two bars  153  and  153 ′ that are substantially parallel to each other and to the axis X-X′, and that are hinged at one end to the rear frame  142  in such a manner as to pivot about respective ones of two axes A 153  and A′ 153  that are parallel to the axis Y-Y′. 
     The two bars  153  and  153 ′ are interconnected, in the vicinity of their ends opposite from the rear frame  142 , by a transverse bar  155  hinged to each of the two bars  153  and  153 ′. Access to and exit from the platform  12  is by raising the bars  153  and  153 ′ of one of the side frames  146  or  148 . 
     The front frame  150  is connected to the first portions  152  and  154  via a plurality of levers  160 , each of which is hinged at one of its ends to the front frame  150  about an axis A 160  perpendicular to the axis X-X′ and parallel to the plane P S . 
     At its other end  162 , in the vicinity of the first portions  152  and  154 , each lever  160  has two transverse pins  164  extending parallel to the axis Y-Y′. These pins  164  are received in mutually parallel runners  166  fastened to the first portions  152  and  154 . In practice, the runners  166  are plane parts, each of which is provided with an elongate slot  168  in which the pins  164  move. Each slot  168  is provided parallel to the axis Z-Z′. At its top end  70 , each slot  168  is provided with a locking notch  172  offset relative to the axis of said slot  168 , and having an abutment  174  for stopping the pins  164 . 
     The front frame  150  is provided with a load transporter tray  200  extending parallel to the plane P S  on the front of the front frame  150  in the configurations of  FIGS. 1 and 3 . The tray  200  is pivotally mounted to pivot about an axis A 200  perpendicular to the axis X-X′ and parallel to the plane P S  on a support  202  secured to the front frame  150 . The support  202  is mounted in two uprights  204  and  206  of the front frame  150 , in a manner such that it can slide parallel to the axis Z-Z′. In this way, the height of the tray  200  relative to the deck  122  of the platform  12  is adjustable. This adjustment may be achieved in motor-driven manner and in a manner controlled by the control station  144 , but it may also be achieved manually by means of staged fastening devices not shown in the drawings, such as racks. 
     The order picker  2  is reserved for indoor use, in particular for transporting goods from one point to another in a storage or delivery building. To this end, it may be used in a first configuration, in which only one person stands on the platform. In this first configuration, the tray  200  is deployed in the horizontal position, in order to enable the operator to place on it goods taken from any given place, in particular from shelving. In this first configuration, in order to prevent the tray  200  from projecting beyond the platform  12 , the front frame  150  is placed in a position in which it is set back from the front edge  124 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  5 , and  6 , in which position the portions  156  and  158  of the guardrail  14  are retracted. In this position, the front frame  150  is situated at a distance d 1  from the front edge  124 , where d 1  lies in the range ¼ of the longitudinal dimension L of the platform  12 , to ⅔ of said longitudinal dimension, where said longitudinal dimension L is the length of the platform  12  parallel to the axis X-X′. For this purpose, the ends  162  of the levers  160  are placed in the slots  168  towards the deck  122  of the platform  12 , in order to enable the front frame  150  to be relatively close to the rear frame  142 . The space saved in this way allows the tray  200  to be deployed in a manner such that said tray does not project beyond the platform  12 . This makes it possible to preserve the compactness of the order picker  2  with a view to it moving in a place in which goods are stored and in which other order pickers can travel. This configuration of use represents the most common use of the order picker  2 . 
     In the configuration shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  5 , and  6 , a space  126  for storing the goods is available on the portion of the deck  122 . This space  126 , which is situated between the front edge  124  and the front frame  150 , is of height limited by the tray  200 , and it can serve to store goods of small size. 
     If necessary, the mast  10  of the order picker  2  can be deployed, by means of actuators (not shown), for the purpose of retrieving goods situated on shelving at heights, as can apply in warehouses for storing orders. 
     The order picker  2  may also be used in a second configuration shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 , and  7 , in which two people can stand on the platform  12 . Such a configuration can be necessary, for example, for loading voluminous articles, or for doing maintenance work at heights. Such work can be wiring work or work for changing electrical lighting or bulbs in ceiling lights. 
     In this configuration, the tray  200  is folded away, in a vertical position, against the front frame  150 . In order to extend the available space in the platform  12 , the front frame  150  is advanced to the vicinity of the front edge  124  of the deck  122 , at a distance d 2  that is strictly less than ¼ of the longitudinal dimension L of the platform  12 . For this purpose, the ends  162  of the levers  160  are moved towards the top ends  170  of the slots  68 . Since the length of the levers  160  is substantially equal to the dimension along the axis X-X′ of the tray  200  in the deployed position, this effect of the levers  160  moving in this way is to increase the area available for the occupants of the order picker  2  by an area substantially equal to the area of the tray  200 . In order to lock the position in the vicinity of the front edge  124 , the pins  164  provided at the ends  162  of the levers  160  are engaged in the notches  172  in the top ends  170  of the runners  166 . The abutments  174  then prevent the pins  164  from engaging in the slots  168 . Thus, in this configuration, two people can stand on the platform  12  and do work at heights entirely safely. However, the tray  200  cannot be used in this configuration, because opening it might unbalance the order picker  2 . If the tray  200  is deployed while two people are standing on the platform  12 , the position of the tray is detected by sensors and movement of the order picker  2  is rendered impossible. 
     The operations necessary for changing the configuration of the order picker  2  may be performed manually, but they may also be controlled electrically from the control station  144 , and involve actuators acting on the front frame  150  for moving it between the two above-mentioned configurations. It is possible to make provision for configuration change to be fully automated for the order picker  2 , simultaneously involving changing the position of the front frame  150  and tipping the tray  200 . Such tipping may also be achieved automatically by a system of cams (not shown), while the position of the front frame  150  is being changed manually. 
     In order to provide larger load carriage capacity without excessively upsetting the balance of the order picker  2 , two side stowage spaces are provided at the same level as the deck  122 . Two extensions  220  and  222 , each of which is slidably received in a respective recess  226  in the platform  12  can be used. The extensions  220  and  222  can be received entirely under the floor  122 , inside the recesses  226 , in a retracted position. In the deployed position shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , said extensions  220  and  222  offer transport surfaces of length equal to the longitudinal dimension of the platform, and of width not exceeding 150 mm, and preferably 120 mm. The extensions  220  and  222  can be deployed independently from each other. They are designed to receive elongate goods such as table tops, or flat packs of large size, that can be leant up against one of the first portions  152  and  154  of the guardrail. In order to facilitate handling and transporting such goods, the extensions  220  and  222  are provided with adjacent rollers  224  that rotate about axes A 224  perpendicular to the axes X-X′ and Z-Z′.