Abstract:
A mobile storage unit system includes a vehicle guide arrangement that navigates a forklift or other vehicle along aisles formed between mobile storage units. The vehicle guide arrangement allows an operator to identify the aisle containing a desired loading or unloading point and the guide arrangement defines a path of travel for the vehicle along that aisle to ensure that the vehicle has sufficient room to perform the loading and unloading functions. The mobile storage unit system may also include one or more perceptible indicators, such as lamps, that provide the operator a signal when an aisle is fully open and ready to receive the vehicle. A corresponding signal may also be provided to the vehicle guide arrangement so that the vehicle is not navigated along an aisle until the aisle is fully open. This ensures that the vehicle has the space needed to maneuver during the loading and unloading process.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 942,093 filed Jun. 5, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to storage systems and, more particularly, to a mobile high bay storage system in which storage units are movable along a storage unit guide arrangement to selectively form an aisle between adjacent storage units along which a vehicle may be guided by a vehicle guide arrangement. The storage system may also include a perceptible indicator that signals when an aisle is fully open and thus ready to receive the vehicle. 
         [0003]    Industrial rack systems are commonly used in storage facilities to store products until those products are shipped either directly to a consumer or to a retailer. Typically, the industrial racks store loaded pallets that are placed on and removed from the racks using a forklift or similar work vehicle. The industrial racks are spaced from one another in a manner to form relatively wide aisles to allow sufficient room for the forklift to load and remove the pallets. Since each industrial rack has a fixed position, each industrial rack must have a dedicated aisle. Moreover, since each aisle is typically as wide, if not wider than, the rack itself, more than half the floor space occupied by the industrial rack system may be occupied by aisles and thus not usable for product storage. 
         [0004]    Mobile industrial rack systems, however, are designed to reduce the number of fixed aisles and, as a result, increase the amount of floor space used for product storage. More particularly, in a typical configuration, a single aisle may be allocated for the entire industrial rack system. The position of that single aisle can be changed by moving the industrial racks along a track or rail that is mounted or otherwise secured to the storage facility flooring, which is typically a concrete slab. While in some configurations each industrial rack is moved independently, it is common for back-to-back industrial racks to be coupled using a rigid flue spacer connector and moved as a single unit by a single mobile carriage supporting both racks. To access a forward rack of a given back-to-back configuration, the racks are moved such that an aisle is formed immediately forward of the back-to-back configuration. To access a rearward rack of the given back-to-back configuration, the racks are moved such that an aisle is formed immediately rearward of the back-to-back configuration. Thus, mobile industrial rack systems provide nearly twice the storage capacity of a similarly sized fixed rack system. 
         [0005]    Stationary storage racks are spaced sufficiently from one another to define an aisle that is wide enough for the vehicle to be moved down the aisle and unload or load a pallet with room for the vehicle to maneuver as needed. In a mobile storage unit system however, the position of an open aisle changes as the individual storage units are moved. Thus, the vehicle operator must be cognizant of the spacing between those storage units between which an aisle is formed. If the vehicle is entered into an aisle that is not fully open or is entered along an imprudent path, the operator may find that the vehicle does not have sufficient room to perform the desired loading or unloading functions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a mobile storage unit system that includes a vehicle guide arrangement that navigates a forklift or other vehicle along aisles formed between mobile storage units. The vehicle guide arrangement allows an operator to identify the aisle containing a desired loading or unloading point and the guide arrangement defines a path of travel for the vehicle along that aisle to ensure that the vehicle has sufficient room to perform the loading and unloading functions. 
         [0007]    The mobile storage unit system may also include one or more perceptible indicators, such as lamps, that provide the operator a signal when an aisle is fully open and ready to receive the vehicle. A corresponding signal may also be provided to the vehicle guide arrangement so that the vehicle is not navigated along an aisle until the aisle is fully open. This ensures that the vehicle has the space needed to maneuver during the loading and unloading process. 
         [0008]    It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a system that defines a path of travel for a vehicle, such as a forklift, along aisles formed between mobile storage units. It is a further object of the invention to limit navigation of a vehicle to aisles that are fully open. 
         [0009]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a mobile storage system is provided and includes a support surface and a plurality of mobile storage units. The system further includes a storage unit guide arrangement for guiding movement of the mobile storage units relative to the support surface. The mobile storage units are movable via the storage unit guide arrangement to selectively form at least one aisle between adjacent storage units. A vehicle guide arrangement is associated with the support surface for guiding movement of a vehicle in each aisle between adjacent storage units. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a storage method includes movably mounting a plurality of storage units relative to a support surface and providing a vehicle for selectively placing items on and retrieving items from the storage units. The method also includes selectively moving the storage units to form an aisle between a pair of adjacent storage units and guiding movement of the vehicle along a predefined path formed along the support surface within the aisle. 
         [0011]    According to a yet a further aspect of the invention, a mobile storage system includes a support surface and a plurality of mobile storage units supported by the support surface. A storage unit guide arrangement is provided for guiding movement of the mobile storage units relative to the support surface. The mobile storage units are movable via the storage unit guide arrangement such that at least one storage unit in each pair of adjacent storage units is movable from a closed position throughout a range of partially open positions to a fully open position in which an aisle is formed between the pair of adjacent storage units. An indicator is associated with each adjacent pair of storage units and provides a perceptible indication that the storage units are in the fully open position. 
         [0012]    According to a further aspect, the invention is embodied in a storage method that includes the acts of movably mounting a plurality of storage units relative to a support surface and selectively moving the storage units to form an aisle between a pair of adjacent storage units by moving at least one of the storage units in each adjacent pair of storage units from a closed position throughout a range of partially open positions to a fully open position in which the aisle is formed. The storage method further includes the act of providing a perceptible indication when the storage units are in the fully open position to form the aisle. 
         [0013]    Various other features, objects, aspects, and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a mobile storage unit system according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a pair of mobile storage units movable along a storage unit guide arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of an end panel of one of the mobile storage units shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a partial isometric view of anti-tip arrangement usable with the mobile storage units shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a section view of a portion of the storage unit guide arrangement according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a section view of the storage unit guide arrangement of  FIG. 5  taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a section view of a portion of a storage unit guide arrangement according to an alternate embodiment of the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a top view of a mobile storage unit system that includes a storage unit guide arrangement and a vehicle guide arrangement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    A mobile high bay storage system  10  generally includes a series of storage units  12 , which are arranged in rows in a storage room or facility, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Mobile high bay storage system  10  is particularly well suited for high density storage of records or other items in an off-site storage facility, although it is understood that mobile high bay storage system  10  may be employed in any satisfactory environment. 
         [0024]    Each storage unit  12  is secured at its lower end to a mobile carriage  14 , for providing movement of the storage units  12  relative to a support surface such as a floor. In the illustrated embodiment, each storage unit  12  includes a frame  16  and a series of storage members, in the form of shelves  18 , which are operable to support items for storage above carriage  14 . It is understood, however, that storage members other than shelves may be employed in storage system  10 . A series of rails  20  are secured to the floor, shown at F, in a manner to be explained, and carriages  14  are movable on rails  20  in order to selectively form an aisle A between an adjacent pair of storage units  12 . Each carriage  14  may have any desired length according to the application in which storage system  10  is employed. 
         [0025]    In one version, which is illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the storage units  12  may be arranged in a back-to-back configuration, in which a pair of adjacent storage units, designated  12   a  and  12   b , are movable together on rails  20  by a shared carriage  14  toward and away from an adjacent pair of storage units (not shown). In the illustrated example, storage unit  12   a  has an end panel  22  to which various operator controls, generally designated  24 , are mounted. 
         [0026]    An enlarged view of the end panel  22  and operator controls  24  are shown in  FIG. 3 . The controls  24  includes a motion control panel  26  that allows an operator to move the storage unit  12   a , and its adjacent storage unit  12   b  in a back-to-back configuration, along the rails  20 . The controls  24  also include an aisle fully open indicator  28 , such as a lamp, that is illuminated when an aisle is fully open. As will be explained further below, in storage system  10  it is important that an operator know that the aisle is fully open before a vehicle, such as a forklift, enters the aisle. 
         [0027]    While a back-to-back configuration has been described above, it is also understood, however, that each storage unit  12   a ,  12   b  may be independently movable relative to the adjacent storage units  12 . 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the upper end of each frame  16  is interconnected with an anti-tip arrangement  30  that includes an anti-tip rail  32  which is secured at its ends to a pair of endmost storage units  12 , and the storage units  12  between the endmost storage units are engaged with the anti-tip rail  32  by a movable bracket arrangement  34  that includes a series of rollers that engage anti-tip rail  34  in order to provide relative movement of the storage units  12  while maintaining the storage unit frames  16  in engagement with the anti-tip rail  32 . It is understood that other types of anti-tip configurations may be used. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , each rail  20  is embedded within floor F, and preferably is arranged so that the top of the rail  20  is flush with the upwardly facing surface of floor F. In a representative embodiment, rail  20  may include a rail base  36  to which a rail bar  38  is secured. Rail base  36  may be in the form of a channel or U-shaped member defining a pair of side walls  40  and a bottom wall  42 . Rail bar  38  may have any satisfactory configuration, and representatively may be a solid metal bar having a square, rectangular or other satisfactory cross-section. In addition, rail  20  may include a base plate  44  to which rail base  36  is secured. 
         [0030]    In one construction, rail  20  may be secured to floor F by placing rail  20  in the upwardly facing surface of a base floor or slab B formed of a concrete material, and then placing a second layer of concrete material T on top of the base floor or slab B so as to bring the floor as up to the elevation of the upper surface of rail bar  38 . In this construction, floor anchors  46  extend through bottom wall  42  of rail base  36  and into the base floor or slab B so as to secure the rail  20  to base floor or slab B prior to placement of upper layer T. 
         [0031]    As will be described further with respect to  FIG. 8 , a series of guidance and wires W, shown at W 1 , W 2 , W 3 , W 4  W 5 , and W 6 , are embedded within floor F passing below or through rails  20 . Guidance wires W 1 -W 6  are electrical conductors that are supplied with low-voltage electrical power, and function to guide movement of a fork truck, order picker, or other vehicle V when storage units  12  are positioned so as to create an aisle A between adjacent storage units  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, a single guidance wire W is provided for each aisle A, and the guidance wires W 1 -W 6  are positioned as to be in the center of the aisle A when the adjacent storage units  12  are moved apart. It is understood, however, that any other number of guidance wires may be provided for each aisle A, and that the guidance wires may be in a position other than in the center of the aisle A. 
         [0032]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , each guidance wire W is first positioned relative to its associated rail  20  and base floor or slab B prior to placement of upper layer T. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 7 , if required by the loads to be placed on the storage units  20 , the rails  20  may be placed on rail footings, shown at RF. 
         [0033]    Representatively, each rail  20  is first placed in the desired position on the upper surface of base floor or slab B (or footing RF), and is leveled and anchored using the anchors  46 , in a manner as is known. Grout material, shown at G, is then placed below the rail base plate  44 , between the downwardly facing surface of base plate  44  and the upwardly facing surface of base floor or slab B (or footing RF), also in a manner that is known. However, when the grout material G is placed, spacers, conduits or blocks are placed at the locations at which the guide wires W are destined to cross the rails  20 . Use of a conduit placed below or through the rail  20  creates a transverse passage embedded within the upper layer T of floor F. Blocks may be used so as to create a void area passing below or through the rail  20 , or blocks of foam or like material may be employed. After the upper layer T of floor F is poured to the level of rail  20  and then cured, a cut is made in upper layer T such as by use of a concrete saw or the like, to form an upwardly facing groove, trough or channel  48  within which each wire W is to be placed. If desired, a wire guidance support GS may be embedded in upper layer T to retain the end of the wire W. Each wire W is then placed within one of the upwardly facing grooves, troughs or channels  48 . At the location of each rail  20 , the cut is made so as to establish communication between the groove, trough or channel  48  formed by the cut and the passage below or through the rail  20 . In the case of a conduit placed below or through the rail  20 , the cut is made into the end of the conduit so that, when the wire W is placed, the end of the wire is fed through the conduit at the rail  20  and then into the groove, trough or channel  48  formed by the cut on the other side of the rail  20 . In the case of blocks that are configured to form a void area at the rail  20 , the cut is made through the blocks and the end of the wire W is fed through the void area into the groove, trough or channel  48  formed by the cut on the other side of the rail  20 . In the case of a block formed of a foam material or the like, the cut is made in alignment with the foam block, and the foam is then removed from the rail  20  in the area of the foam block that is in alignment with the cuts on either side of the rail  20 , to form a passage below or through the rail  20 . The end of the wire W is then fed through the passage formed by the removed area of the foam block, to enable the wire W to pass below the rail  20 . It is understood that the described methods of positioning the wires W below the rails  20  are representative of numerous other constructions that may be employed to allow the wires W to be placed within the concrete material of upper layer T and passing below or through the rails  20 . 
         [0034]    After each wire W has been placed within the groove, trough or channel  48  formed by the cuts in upper layer T and passing below or through the rails  20 , the void area in each groove, trough or channel  48  above the wire W is filled, typically by use of a foam material that is pressed into the groove, trough or channel  48 . A caulk or crack sealer material is then typically placed over the foam material to the level of the upper surface of upper layer T. Again, it is understood that any other satisfactory method may be employed for filling the area of each groove, trough or channel  48  above the wire W. 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIG. 8 , guidance wires W 1 -W 6  function to guide movement of a vehicle V, such as a fork truck or order picker, within each aisle A. Typically, the wires W 1 -W 6  are placed in a continuous loop, and extend from a power supply box P located in the vicinity of the storage system  10 . The guided vehicle V goes ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’ the signal of wires W, and travels in either direction as controlled by guided vehicle operator. In a typical installation, an operator drives up to aisle and ‘acquires the wire’ at the aisle entry area in front of the storage units  12  by flipping a switch on vehicle V when the wire signal is sensed. Once ‘on the wire’, the operator can only control forward/reverse movement of the vehicle V and lifting or lowering of a load. 
         [0036]    Each carriage  14  includes driven and non-driven support assemblies, each of which is located over one of the rails  20 . The wheels of the driven support assemblies are rotated by a drive arrangement that may include a motor and a force transmission mechanism, such as a chain and sprocket arrangement, which extends from the output of the motor and is engaged with a driven wheel. 
         [0037]    The present invention also includes an aisle fully open indicator  28 , such as the lamp  28 , shown in  FIG. 3 , which provides an indication to a person, such as the operator of vehicle V, that an aisle A is fully open and that vehicle V can be driven into the aisle A. In storage system  10 , it is important for the operator to know that the aisle A is fully open prior to entering to aisle with vehicle V, since the aisle A is typically very narrow and there are very small clearances between the side of the vehicle V in the outwardly facing surfaces of the storage units and carriages  14  that form the aisles A. The aisle fully open indicator  28  may be in the form of an indicator light, which is provided on a panel  22  secured at the end of the storage unit  12  at the main transverse aisle. 
         [0038]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , each carriage  14  is provided with at least one distance measuring sensor  50  and a reflector  52  that cooperates with the sensor of an adjacently spaced carriage. Each sensor  50  measures the distance or spacing from the adjacent carriage. Thus, when the storage units  12  are being moved so as to create an aisle A, the output of the sensors  50  will indicate whether the adjacent the storage unit is in a fully open position. When a fully open aisle is formed, only one sensor  50  will provide an open aisle signal. When that open aisle signal is provided, the indicator light  28  is illuminated so as to provide an indication that the aisle A being opened has attained a fully open condition. The operator can then advance the vehicle into the aisle A to place or retrieve items on or from the storage units  12 . If indicator light  28  is not illuminated, then the operator knows that the aisle A is not fully opened, and that the vehicle V should not be advanced into the aisle A. 
         [0039]    It is recognized that the distance that equates to a fully open aisle can be varied using appropriate software. 
         [0040]    In a further embodiment of the invention, the carriages  14 , and thus the mobile storage units  12 , are specially controlled when a fault, such as a safety condition, is detected. For instance, if a safety sensor is activated, such as by tripping of an aisle safety sensor, the mobile storage units  12  moving away from the aisle in which the fault was detected are allowed to continue movement in the direction away from the aisle. However, those storage units moving toward the aisle in which the fault was detected are automatically stopped when the fault is detected. Once the storage moving toward the aisle in which the fault was detected are stopped, a timer counts down for a predetermined time period, e.g. 3 seconds, in order to ensure that all movement of the storage units has ceased, and to allow forces caused by movement of the storage units to dissipate. Once the timer expires, the aisle in which the safety was activated will open for a predetermined time period, e.g. 3 seconds, or until its movement limit sensor is reached or a safety activation stops movement, or a user commands the system to stop. In this manner, in the event an obstruction such as a forklift is encountered when an aisle is closing, the storage units are backed away from the obstruction to widen the aisle and therefore allow the aisle to be cleared. After the obstruction is removed from the aisle, the safety system continues to keep the aisle locked. The user must manually reset the locked aisle so that the storage units can again be moved to allow aisles to be formed between storage units as desired. 
         [0041]    It is understood that the mobile storage units moving away from the aisle having the fault may also be paused and thus treated similarly to those mobile storage units moving toward the aisle having the fault. 
         [0042]    While the aisle fully open indicator has been shown as indicator light, it is understood that any other means may be employed to provide a perceptible signal to an operator that the aisle is filly open. For example, an audible signal may be employed. In addition, while the aisle filly open indicator has been shown and described as a device that provides a perceptible signal to the operator when the aisle is fully open, it is also contemplated that a perceptible signal may be generated when the aisle is not fully opened, and that cessation or alteration of the perceptible signal may then be used to signal to the operator that the aisle is fully open. 
         [0043]    It is also understood that any satisfactory mechanism other than the carriage position sensors may be employed for determining whether aisle A is fully open, and for actuating the aisle fully open indicator. For example, mechanical limit switches may be mounted to the carriages  14 , and may be used to actuate the perceptible signal. For example, an aisle is not fully open unless all of the limit switches are in the same state, either latched ON or latched OFF. When the storage units are moving, at least one storage unit will have a limit switch that is in a state different from the limit switches of the other storage units. 
         [0044]    It is further contemplated that the work vehicle may be equipped with an open aisle indicator that operates similarly to the open aisle indicator  28  described above. The work vehicle indicator thereby provides a perceptible indicator to the operator within the operator cab itself as to whether the aisle is fully open before the operator enters the work vehicle into the aisle. 
         [0045]    In addition to the bar-type rails  20  as shown and described above, it understood that other types of rails may be use in storage system  10 , such as a center groove rail adapted to receive center-flanged carriage wheels, or a flat rail to supports a flat-surfaced carriage wheel such as is defined by a flat or a double-flanged carriage wheel. 
         [0046]    Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.