ELEVATOR AND RACK SYSTEM

An elevator for a rack system for load carriers having a load-receiver, wherein the load-receiver comprises a displacement unit, and wherein the load-receiver comprises rollers. Further a rack system equipped with a corresponding elevator is also provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an elevator and a rack system, in particular for a warehouse shuttle system for small load carriers.

Description of the Background Art

In automated warehouse technology, in the sub-area of small load carriers, i.e., load carriers with a maximum dimension of 400×600 mm and a maximum weight of 50 kg, the load carriers, which are often designed as boxes, are usually transported by a shuttle system in a rack system, which is therefore also referred to as a warehouse shuttle system. The rack system comprises several racks arranged side by side, which in turn usually comprise several levels. Between in each case two shelves, aisles for at least one shuttle each are arranged. This transports the load carriers to a rack bay of the rack assigned by the logistics system and stores them there or retrieves a load carrier from a rack bay and transports it to a handover area. This is usually arranged on an end face of the rack and comprises at least one handover location per rack system on each level and one or more elevators which transport the load carriers to the different levels of the racks. When storing, the load carriers are conveyed to the rack system on a feed plane, which is provided, for example, on the assigned floor of the hall, by means of conveyor technology and taken over by the elevator with a load-receiver and transported to the predetermined rack level. There, the load carrier is again passed from the elevator to a handover location, which can be designed with driven and/or non-driven rollers or with supports. From the handover location, the load carrier is taken over by the shuttle with the help of the load-receiver of the shuttle and subsequently transported by this to the assigned rack bay. There, the shuttle is positioned in relation to the rack bay and the load carrier is moved into the rack bay.

The German patent 102011012424 B4, which corresponds to US 2014/0056672, discloses an elevator referred to as a lifter, which comprises a load-receiver with a displacement unit. The displacement unit comprises tines which can be extended and retracted in the plane of the load-receiver. Furthermore, the load-receiver can be adjusted in height by a movement of the lifter, so that when storing, the load carriers referred to as storage units are first moved by the displacement unit over a handover location and then set down by lowering the lifter onto the handover location. During retrieval, the order is reversed. The tines can thus lift load carriers and move them in the direction of movement of said displacement unit, but it is not possible to move the load carriers perpendicular to the direction of movement of the displacement unit. This has the disadvantage that the lifter can only pick up a load carrier by extending the tines and subsequently lifting the load carrier. For example, the lifter cannot be loaded directly perpendicular to the direction of movement of the displacement unit by the conveyor system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an elevator and a rack system, which allows for a more efficient loading of the storage system and an improved utilization of the available space.

An elevator according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention for a rack system for load carriers comprises a load-receiver having a displacement unit, wherein according to the invention the load-receiver comprises at least one conveyor element, in particular one or more rollers, which is or are suitable for moving a load carrier arranged on the load-receiver perpendicular to the direction of movement of the displacement unit. In this context, a load-receiver is to be understood as the part of an elevator with which a load carrier is transported, for example from an elevator to a handover location of the rack system of the warehouse shuttle system. The displacement unit is the part of the load-receiver which moves the load carrier in a plane parallel to the rack bay.

By the inventively created possibility of moving a load carrier arranged on the load-receiver perpendicular to the direction of movement of the displacement unit, lateral loading of the elevator is made possible. As a result, with a suitable arrangement of the elevator, this can be loaded or unloaded by the conveyor technology via the rollers, wherein the displacement unit can move the load carrier perpendicular thereto to the handover location. This has the advantage that it is no longer necessary for the conveyor technology to hand over to the elevator using a handover location.

Furthermore, the conveyor element, in particular one or more rollers, may be connected to the displacement unit. As a result, for example, the rollers on which the load carrier rests can be moved together with the displacement unit.

The conveyor element of the load-receiver can be formed without a drive. The load carriers can be pushed onto or removed from the elevator platform by a powered conveyor system. This can be supported, for example, by belt drives arranged on the elevator platform.

In particular, the conveyor element can be powered by a drive. This has the advantage that no further conveyor technology, such as a belt drive on the elevator, is necessary and thus installation space can be saved. Furthermore, the storage technology connecting to the rack system for storing or retrieving the load carriers can be designed more easily.

Furthermore, the load-receiver may comprise a lifting device. This can be integrated in the part of the load-receiver which is firmly connected to the elevator or be part of the displacement unit. In the second case, the lifting device is moved with the displacement unit.

Due to the fact that the load-receiver comprises the lifting device, a vertical movement of the load carriers can be achieved, for example, in preparation for a handover of a load carrier, without the entire elevator having to be controlled vertically. This results in fewer moving masses in connection with a handover and this can be cycled faster.

Furthermore, the elevator may comprise an elevator platform which is connected to the elevator drive, and which receives the load carriers for their transport to the various levels of the rack system.

In particular, the load-receiver may be part of the elevator platform. Depending on the operating condition, the load carrier can rest on the displacement unit or on the load-receiver. In a raised position, i.e., when the lifting device is extended, the load carrier rests only on the displacement unit. Once the lifting device has been retracted, the load carrier may rest partly on the displacement unit and partly on the load-receiver.

In addition, the load carrier, with the displacement unit in an extended state, can be set down at a handover location of the warehouse shuttle system. This has the advantage that the handover location does not have to include its own conveyor technology, such as powered rollers or a belt drive, i.e., it can be passively designed. For example, a beam, an angle, a C-profile or a U-profile can be used as a receiver.

In particular, the setting down of the load carrier can be achieved by a method of the elevator and/or by the method of the lifting device. Depending on the accelerations defined by the power of the elevator motor, a lifting device can be dispensed with.

The load-receiver may also be designed in such a way that it can move load carriers, starting from the elevator in two opposite directions. An elevator can thus reach two shelves mutually disposed with their rear side to each other, i.e., with the back of the shelf facing away from the aisle, and the respective adjacent aisle. As a result, almost half of all elevators can be omitted which has an advantageous effect on the manufacturing costs of the warehouse shuttle system.

Furthermore, the elevator platform may comprise two or more load-receiver. As a result, at least two load carriers can be transported to another level at the same time with the elevator. As a result, especially when using one elevator for two shelves, as described above, the capacity of the stored and retrieved load carriers can be increased. In this case, the load-receiver do not necessarily have to be provided with a separate lifting device, even a design independent of the invention described above is conceivable and could be regarded as a separate inventive object.

In this case, the load-receiver may be arranged such that a load carrier can be moved to a neighboring load-receiver by a load-receiver.

In particular, the load carrier can be moved by a load-receiver to an adjacent load-receiver on the rollers of the load-receiver. Therefore, no additional conveyor technology is necessary to reach the second and the other possible load-receiver. The displacement of the load carriers on the elevator platform from one load-receiver to an adjacent load-receiver can be achieved by powered rollers. These can be arranged either on the load-receiver itself or on the elevator platform, or on both.

A rack system according to the invention having an elevator as described may in particular be designed in such a way that the elevator, an adjacent handover location and an aisle of the rack system adjacent to the handover location are arranged in such a way that a load carrier can be moved along an axis from the elevator to the handover location and from the handover location to the shuttle.

This arrangement makes it possible, as already described above, to design the handover location passively, i.e., without its own conveyor technology. This has the advantage that no conveyor technology has to be arranged in the rack itself, which has a positive effect on the manufacturing costs of the rack. Furthermore, this lateral access to the rack, i.e., perpendicular to the direction of movement of the shuttle, has the advantage that, as described above, several load-receiver can be arranged on one elevator platform, almost arbitrarily increasing the displacement efficiency of the shuttle rack.

In addition, the handover location may include rollers for moving a load carrier. If several handover locations are arranged side by side, for several load-receiver, a load carrier can be transferred between these handover locations, further increasing the flexibility of the system. For example, the shuttle can set down a load carrier on the first handover location directly adjacent to the rack. Depending on the load of the elevator, which may include three load-receiver, the load carrier can be moved to the handover location, which corresponds to an available load-receiver in the elevator. The displacement can either be realized with additional conveyor technology such as a belt drive or the rollers of the handover location can be powered by a drive.

Furthermore, the rack system may comprise a shuttle having a load-receiver.

In particular, the load-receiver of the elevator and the shuttle may be identical. As a result, development costs, manufacturing costs and maintenance costs can be advantageously reduced.

In addition, the rack system can include two or more handover locations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1shows a schematic frontal view of a warehouse shuttle system1, in which a rack system2with two shelves, concealed by a handover area12in the view shown, and an aisle6running between the shelves is displayed. The shelves are therefore arranged into the drawing plane, behind the handover area12. The storage and retrieval of the load carriers11to the rack system2and the paths of the load carriers11in the rack system2are an important criterion for the efficiency of the warehouse shuttle system1. The paths of the load carriers11are represented inFIG.1by arrows, wherein the two arrows running perpendicular to the drawing plane are intended to illustrate the transport of the load carriers11in the aisle6. The part of the double arrow that is dashed and pointing in the opposite direction is intended to indicate that the warehouse shuttle system1, and in particular the elevators15, can be operated in a bidirectional mode, i.e., load carriers11can be stored or retrieved via one or both elevators15. In the embodiment shown, the vertical movement of the load carriers11is achieved by the two elevators15with their elevator platforms16. A load carrier11in a feed plane not separately designated in the figure, fed by conveyor technology7, is moved in the illustrated embodiment to the elevator platform16of the right elevator15. In the example shown, the feed plane is arranged on the floor of the assigned hall and can include conveyor belts or autonomous cars. Alternatively, the feed plane may also be located in any other level of the rack system2. The elevator15brings the load carrier11to the level of the rack system2which is predetermined by a controller of the warehouse shuttle system1. In the respective handover area12of the level, the load carrier11is first moved from a load-receiver10of the elevator platform16to a handover location13and subsequently to a shuttle8. The shuttle8, which can be moved between the shelves on rails9arranged on the risers4of the shelves, moves the load carrier11into the bay predetermined by the controller. During retrieval, the shuttle8fetches the load carrier11from a predetermined bay and transports it to the handover area12. Whereas for storing, the handover location13and elevator15located in the figure on the right are used, the handover location13and elevator15located inFIG.1on the left are used for retrieval. This is a common procedure, whereby it is avoided that the paths of the stored and retrieved carriers11cross in the handover area12and the conveyor technology7either stores or retrieves the load carriers11. However, it is also conceivable to store and retrieve the load carriers11with the elevators15and handover areas13being located on both sides of the rack system2. In the illustrated embodiment of the warehouse shuttle system1, the elevators15are arranged laterally next to the handover locations13, whereby the frontal space requirement of the handover area12in front of the shelves intended for the storage of the load carriers11can be minimized. This is particularly advantageous if the arrangement has the same width as or a smaller width than the underlying rack system2. This is the case, for example, if the shelves for storing three or more load carriers11are formed consecutively in a bay. Furthermore, in the rack system2, no change of direction is necessary when transporting the load carriers11from the elevator15via the handover location13to the shuttle8arranged in the aisle6. This advantageously reduces the conveyor technology on the rack, the complexity and thus the manufacturing costs and operating costs of the warehouse shuttle system1. The loading of the elevator15and the transport from the elevator15to the handover location13is achieved by the inventive formation of a load-receiver10of the elevators15described in more detail inFIGS.2aand2b.

The shown arrangement of the elevators in relation to the shelves is conceivable independent of the other features of the invention and could be regarded as a separate inventive object.

FIGS.2aand2bshow identical regions of a handover area12in a sectional representation, in which an elevator platform16with a first embodiment of a load-receiver10and a handover location13are shown.FIGS.2aand2bshow the handover area12at two different times to explain how the handover of the load carrier11from the elevator platform16to the handover location13is carried out. The load-receiver10comprises a displacement unit which is formed in the embodiment shown as a telescopic drive30. This in turn comprises cylindrical rollers32for receiving the load carrier11, wherein the rollers32are arranged in such a way that the load carrier11can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the drawing plane on the rollers32, which can rotate about their axis of rotation33. The rollers32are used for the following described movement of the load carrier11from the elevator platform16to the handover location13as a support for the load carrier11, wherein the further function of the rollers32is described in detail inFIG.3. In bothFIGS.2aand2b, the telescopic drive30is shown in an extended position.

FIG.2ashows a first arrangement in which the receiver14, designed for example as beams, as angles, as C-profiles or as a U-profile of the elevator platform16of the not-shown elevator15, is positioned in such a way opposite the handover location13, that the load carrier11hovers above the supports14on the rollers32of the extended telescopic drive30.

FIG.2bshows the state in which the elevator platform16was lowered such that the load carrier11now rests on the receiver14of the handover location13. In the following, the telescopic drive30with the rollers32, which no longer have contact to the load carrier11and largely cover the receiver14in the figure, can be retracted again. Subsequently, the elevator platform16can be moved to the next level. This has the advantage that no conveyor technology is installed in the rack system, which can minimize the complexity of the construction and, as a result, the manufacturing costs.

FIG.3shows a top view on a front-side handover area12of two shelves3of a rack system2of a warehouse shuttle system1having two handover locations13, two elevators15and a shuttle8. The movement of the load carriers11is again represented by arrows, wherein the two arrows directed in or from the direction of the shelves3are intended to indicate the storage and retrieval of the load carriers11in the bays20of the shelves3. As already described inFIG.1, the parts of the double arrows shown dashed and pointing in the opposite direction are intended to indicate a possible bidirectional operation. The elevators15are guided on columns17, which are arranged between the shelves3and the handover area12, whereby on the opposite side of the columns17, in the feed plane, a conveyor technology7can be arranged. When storing a load carrier11in unidirectional operation, this is transported by the conveyor technology7to the right elevator15and subsequently moved by the conveyor technology7via the powered rollers32of the telescopic drive30to a load-receiver10on an elevator platform16of the elevator15. In this case, the load carrier11is moved into the elevator15on the rollers32, which are arranged on the telescopic drive30of the load-receiver10. The rollers32may be powered or non-powered depending on the design of the conveyor technology7. The elevator15brings the load carrier11to the predetermined level and positions the elevator platform16, as described inFIGS.2aand2b, in such a way opposite the assigned handover location13that when the telescopic drive30is extended, the load carrier11hovers over the receiver14of the handover location13. Once the load carrier11is positioned above the receiver14, the load carrier11, together with the telescopic drive30, is lowered by moving the elevator platform16through the elevator15until the load carrier11rests only on the receiver14. The extension elements31of the telescopic drive30are retracted with the rollers32, so that the elevator15can move the elevator platform16to another level. The left side of the handover area12shows a load carrier11, which rests on the handover location13and waits for the takeover by the load-receiver10of the left elevator15. The telescopic drive30is concealed by the rollers32.

FIGS.4aand4bshow, as already described inFIGS.2aand2b, identical regions of a handover area12in a sectional representation in which an elevator platform16is shown with a further embodiment of a load-receiver10and a handover location13. In contrast to the embodiment of the load-receiver10ofFIGS.2aand2b, the load-receiver10comprises an additional lifting device40inFIGS.4aand4b.FIGS.4aand4balso show the handover area12at two different times in order to explain how the load-receiver10operates. In bothFIGS.4aand4b, the elevator platform16is positioned at the height of the handover location13. The load-receiver10comprises a lifting device40and a displacement unit designed as a telescopic drive30. The load carrier11rests on cylindrical rollers32of the telescopic drive30, which are arranged such that the load carrier11can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the drawing plane on the rollers32, which can rotate about their axis of rotation33. For the following described handover of the load carrier11from the elevator platform16to the handover location13, the rollers32are used as a support for the load carrier11, wherein the further function of the rollers32is described in detail inFIG.5.

FIG.4ashows a first arrangement in which the lifting device40is extended, i.e., shown in its upper position. The telescopic drive30is also shown in an extended position, so that the load carrier11hovers over a receiver14of the handover location13on the rollers32of the telescopic drive30. The load carrier11has thus been lifted off by the lifting device40, together with the telescopic drive30, from the cylindrical rollers18of the load-receiver10also serving as a support in this process step until the load carrier11, resting on the rollers32of the telescopic drive30, has lifted off from the rollers18of the load-receiver10. Subsequently, the telescopic drive30was extended and the load carrier11was moved to be above the receiver14of the handover location13.

FIG.4bshows the state in which the lifting device40, with it telescopic drive30extended, is lowered and the load carrier11rests on the receiver14of the handover location13. In the following, the telescopic drive30with the rollers32, which no longer contact the load carrier11and are covered in the figure by the receiver14, can be retracted again. Subsequently, the elevator platform16can be moved to the next level. The receiver14is designed as a passive element without further functions, such as a beam, an angle, a C-profile or U-profile with non-slip surfaces. This has the advantage that no conveyor technology is installed in the rack system, which can minimize the complexity of the construction and, as a result, the manufacturing costs.

FIG.5shows a top view on a front side handover area12of two shelves3of a rack system2of a warehouse shuttle system1with two handover locations13, two elevators15and a shuttle8. The movement of the load carriers11is again represented by arrows, wherein the two arrows directed in or from the direction of the shelves3are intended to indicate the storage and retrieval of the load carriers11in the bays20of the shelves3. As already described inFIGS.1and3, the parts of the double arrows that are dashed and pointing in the opposite direction are intended to indicate a possible bidirectional operation. The elevators15are guided on columns17, which are arranged between the shelves3and the handover area12, whereby on the opposite side of the columns17in the feed plane, a conveyor technology7can be arranged. When storing a load carrier11, this is transported by the conveyor technology7to the right elevator15and subsequently moved by the conveyor technology7via powered rollers18to a load-receiver10on an elevator platform of the elevators15, not separately shown in this figure. In this case, the load carrier11is moved both on rollers18of the load-receiver and on rollers32which are arranged on a telescopic drive30of the load-receiver10. The rollers18,32may be powered or non-powered depending on the design of the conveyor technology7. Furthermore, the load-receiver10comprises an additional lifting device40. This can raise and lower the load carrier11independently of the elevator15in the direction of movement of the elevator15. The elevator15brings the load carrier11to the predetermined level and positions the elevator platform at the height of the level of the assigned handover location13. The load carrier11is now raised, as described inFIGS.4aand4b, by the lifting device40, so that the load carrier11now rests only on the two rollers32of the telescopic drive30. The telescopic drive30moves the load carrier11to be above the receiver14of the handover location13by extending its extension elements31. Once the load carrier11is positioned above the receiver14, the load carrier11, together with the telescopic drive30, is lowered by the lifting device40until the load carrier11rests only on the receiver14. The extension elements31of the telescopic drive30are retracted with the rollers32, so that the elevator15can move the elevator platform to another level.

The shuttle8also comprises a load-receiver10having a telescopic drive30and a lifting device40. The handover of the load carrier11from the receiver14of the handover location13to the shuttle8can thereby be identical or at least comparable to the handover from the elevator15to the receiver14of the handover location13.

FIG.6shows a further embodiment of the invention in which three load-receiver10are arranged on an elevator platform16. The load-receiver10are arranged one behind the other from the viewpoint of the conveyor technology7. The load-receiver10on the right side ofFIG.6are retracted, i.e., in the position in which they can be loaded by the conveyor technology7. The rollers18of the load-receiver10.1,10.2,10.3are arranged in such a way that it is possible for the conveyor technology7to load through from the first10.1to the third load-receiver10.3using the individual load-receiver10on the rollers18. The rollers18may be powered or non-powered depending on the embodiment of the conveyor technology7. The elevator15can thereby move at least three load carriers11simultaneously to one or more predetermined levels of the rack system2on an elevator platform16of the not separately designated feed plane. This enhances the capacity of storage and retrieval to the assigned rack systems2. In less time, more load carriers11can be transported into the rack system2and out again. Once the predetermined level is reached, the load carrier11, as described above and shown on the left side ofFIG.6, is moved from the load-receiver10of the elevator platform16to the assigned handover locations13and from there, is picked up by a shuttle8also via a load-receiver10. The shuttle8moves back and forth on rails9arranged on risers4in the aisle6between the two shelves3of the rack system2, thereby transporting the load carriers11into the bays20of the shelves3. The use of three or more load-receiver10on an elevator platform16is only possible by the, as compared to the prior art, lateral arrangement of the elevators15, i.e., next to the handover locations13. This in turn is possible because the load-receiver10on the shuttle8make loading of the bays20up to a depth of at least three load carriers11possible. The shelves3are thereby deeper and there is sufficient space in front of the shelves3to be able to arrange the elevators15laterally. The three or more load-receiver10of the elevators15can all be loaded from the direction of the conveyor technology7. By means of the lateral arrangement of the elevators15, the handover from the elevator15to the shuttle8can now also be delivered by the conveyor technology7in an axis19perpendicular to the loading of the elevator platform15. This has the advantage that no change of direction has to be made when transferring from elevator15to shuttle8, as would be necessary if the elevator were disposed at the end face of the rack system2. By moving the load carriers11from the load-receiver10of the elevator platform16and the shuttle8, no conveyor technology7is necessary at the handover location13arranged between the two, i.e., this may be passively formed. This has the advantage that no conveyor technology7is required in the rack system2, making the construction of the rack system easier and more cost-effective. Furthermore, due to the telescopic drives30of the load-receiver10of the elevators15working in both directions, an elevator15for two shelves3mutually disposed with their rear side to each other, i.e., with the backs of the shelves facing away from the aisle6, can also be used. As a result, almost half of all previously required elevators can be omitted. This is particularly possible because the elevators15have a higher capacity due to the plurality of load-receiver10, since, for example, fewer empty runs to the feed plane are necessary.