Patent Description:
The present invention finds particular application in the storage of packages, such as postal packages.

Arrangements and methods for receiving, storing and delivering items are known.

For example, postal packages are continuously received at post offices, which packages must be stored until the recipient comes to collect them, and therefore delivered to the recipient himself/herself.

The need to store such packages until collection poses a number of problems, on the one hand because the packages are of the most disparate sizes and on the other hand because it is not possible to predict how long such packages will have to be stored (since the timing of their collection depends on the recipients of such packages and not on the operators of the post offices).

In particular, the very different sizes of the packages to be stored can lead to high inefficiency in space management.

In particular, in the case where the post office warehouse provides for a plurality of storage compartments all with the same size, the result is that significant empty space will remain in some compartments storing very small packages, while very bulky packages may not even enter such compartments.

On the other hand, it is clear that it is not possible to provide for placing multiple postal packages within the same compartment until it is completely filled, as this solution would entail considerable inconvenience in identifying the correct postal package at the time of delivery. It is therefore necessary that each compartment contains only one package.

It should also be considered that these warehouses are limited in size and are often provided underground, so that any expansion work would be extremely difficult and expensive, if not impossible.

In order to overcome the drawbacks described above, arrangements and methods have been developed in the past to optimize the use of space in environments intended for storing items. Document <CIT> describes a storage arrangement which comprises vertical racks, among which a plurality of shelves of arranged. These shelves are arranged at different distances from each other in the vertical direction, thus defining corresponding compartments of different height. The storage arrangement provides that the dimensions of the items to be stored are measured, so that items of height appropriate with respect to the height of the corresponding compartment are arranged on a shelf and that a plurality of items are arranged on said shelf until it is completely filled in width.

This type of solution has several disadvantages.

First, the shelves define compartments of defined and unchangeable heights. Consequently, while providing for the shelves to be mounted at different distances from one another, the versatility of the storage arrangement described above is limited. Second, in said storage arrangement a plurality of items is stored on the same shelf (i.e. in the same compartment), and the absence of a one-to-one correspondence between the compartment and the stored item can lead to errors in memorizing the correct position of each item.

Document <CIT>, disclosing the preamble of claim <NUM>, describes a storage arrangement which comprises vertical racks provided with a plurality of supports, on which trays carrying respective items can be positioned.

However, the storage arrangement described in this document is intended for substantially two-dimensional items, which are completely accommodated in recessed seats provided in the respective trays, so that the height of the items to be stored is constant and substantially equal to the height of the corresponding tray. It follows that this storage arrangement does not lend itself to the storage of three-dimensional items, possibly of significant height. Document <CIT> describes a storage arrangement which comprises vertical racks, among which a plurality of shelves of arranged. Said vertical racks, with the relative shelves, are mounted on a handling system so that they can be moved according to a predefined path. However, no compartments of varying dimensions are provided in the storage arrangement described in this document. Furthermore, although movable, the compartments always face the operator on the same side, whereby the operator does not have access to the opposite part of the compartment for the possible insertion of an additional item into the rear portion of the same compartment.

Document <CIT> describes a storage arrangement for storing items to be distributed, e.g. postal packages.

Said storage arrangement comprises one or more vertical racks, of the type commonly used, for example, in canteens for storing trays at the end of the meal.

As is the case in canteens, said storage arrangement further comprises a plurality of trays on which the items to be stored can be placed and which can be inserted on the supports of one of said vertical racks, at a height that takes into account the items already present on the rack and which is adequate with respect to the height of the item to be stored.

The aforementioned storage arrangement comprises a sensor system for determining the size of a received object, in particular its height, and a control system that allows to determine, based on the output of the aforementioned sensor system and on the data contained in a memory unit and related to the items already present in the warehouse, in which rack to place the new item and at what height of said rack to insert the tray that carries the item.

In this way, it is possible, on the one hand, to allocate sufficient space to the item to be stored, and on the other hand to minimize the distance between the tray carrying the item and the top of the item carried by the underlying tray of the same rack.

The storage arrangement may be flexible, meaning that items may be periodically reorganized within the storage arrangement, so as to further improve the utilization of space. A storage arrangement of the type described above, although it has advantages with respect to a warehouse with fixed-size compartments for receiving the items to be stored, is not without limitations.

In particular, although it is alleged that in the step of detecting the size of the item to be stored several dimensions of said item can be measured, in the actual storing step only the height of said item is taken into account.

This is also evident from the fact that the storage arrangement described in document <CIT> provides for the use of trays all of the same size.

As a result, while the unused space in the vertical direction can be reduced and optimized, there is still considerable unused space in the horizontal direction.

For example, in the storage arrangement described in <CIT> candelabra and a pot having the same height would be treated in the same way, although it is evident that they have completely different overall dimensions.

The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the limitations of the prior art by providing an arrangement and a method for storing items that allow to effectively optimize the use of space in an environment intended for storing items.

This and other objects are achieved by an arrangement and a method for storing items as claimed in the appended claims.

The arrangement and method for storing items provide for detecting the size of an item to be stored and placing said item in a storage structure so that said item is stored in a sufficient, but not excessive, space.

In the storage arrangement and method according to the invention, at least two dimensions of the item in directions perpendicular to each other are taken into account in determining the space in which the item is to be stored.

Preferably, in the storage arrangement and method according to the invention, three dimensions of the item in directions perpendicular to each other are taken into account in determining the space in which the item is to be stored.

According to the invention, the storage structure comprises a plurality of vertical racks, each comprising at least a pair of parallel and facing vertical walls that carry, on the facing faces, a plurality of supports adapted to receive removable supporting elements that carry the items to be stored. Each removable support element, once inserted on the supports of two vertical walls facing a vertical rack, defines with said vertical walls a compartment for storing an item, which is delimited below by said supporting element and laterally by said vertical walls, and which may possibly be delimited above by a supporting element subsequently inserted in the same vertical rack.

According to the invention said plurality of racks comprises two or more rack groupsgroups in which the distance between respective parallel vertical walls is different from one groupgroup to another, so that two or more rack groupsgroups having compartments of different width from one groupgroup to another are definable.

It is understood that in this description:.

According to the invention, the storage structure is provided comprising two or more groups of vertical racks in which main vertical walls are placed at different distances from each other. In an alternative embodiment, it would also be possible to provide that in at least one rack group each rack comprises, in addition to the main vertical walls of the supporting frame, also a vertical bulkhead removably arranged between and parallel to the main vertical walls of said rack.

In this embodiment, at the same distance between the main vertical walls of the rack supporting frame, rack groups can be obtained with compartments of different widths, suitably arranging said vertical bulkheads between the main vertical walls of the racks of one or more rack groups.

In one embodiment of the invention, it is possible to provide for mounting said main side walls - and said vertical bulkheads, if provided - movable on guides or rails, so that the distance therebetween can be modified.

In a preferred form of the invention, the storage structure of the storage arrangement comprises two or more groups of vertical racks in which compartments having different depths from one group to another are definable.

In a first variant of said embodiment, a storage structure comprising two or more rack groups in which the main vertical walls of the supporting frame have an extension in a direction transverse to height different from one group to another may be provided.

In an alternative variant of this embodiment, it would also be possible to provide that, the size as the main vertical walls of the supporingt frame being the same, in at least one rack group each rack comprises a vertical bulkhead arranged between and perpendicular to the vertical walls of said rack, so as to define compartments of reduced depth.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the storage structure comprises at least one rack group in which each rack comprises a vertical bulkhead arranged between and perpendicular to the vertical walls of said rack, and the racks of said at least one rack group are mounted on respective rotatable platforms, so that said platforms can be rotated <NUM>° to access the compartments of a first face or the compartments of an opposite second face of said racks.

Optionally, it would also be possible to provide that the position of said transverse vertical bulkheads may be changed so as to change the subdivision of the overall depth of the racks. Note that rotatable platforms can also be adopted to increase warehouse capacity without a significant increase in the overall dimensions.

In this case, the storage arrangement according to the invention comprises at least one rack group comprising a first row of racks and a second row of racks facing each other and said rack group is mounted on a rotatable platform, with the two rows of racks arranged on opposite sides of the rotation axis of the rotatable platform.

In this way, by rotating the platform <NUM>° it will be possible to access the racks of the first row or, alternatively, the racks of the second row.

By appropriately sizing the rotatable platform and the racks mounted thereon, it will be possible to introduce additional racks (those in the second row) without a significant increase in the overall dimensions.

Providing that all the vertical rack groups are arranged in two rows on a respective rotatable platform, it will even be possible to double the capacity of the storage arrangement, without a significant increase in the overall dimensions.

Advantageously, these rotatable platforms can be removable and transportable, so that they can only be used in case of need (for example, in the case where the items to be stored are postal packages, during the Christmas holidays).

The storage arrangement according to the invention comprises a sensor system for detecting the size of the items to be stored and a control device provided with a memory unit in which the geometry of the storage structure and the arrangement of the items already present in the warehouse are stored.

The control unit, based on the data detected by the sensor system and the data in the memory unit, determines on which rack and in which position to place a new item to be stored.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control unit is configured to analyse data from the sensor system and to evaluate whether to store the item in the current position, in a rotated position (rotated about a vertical axis) or in a tilted position (rotated about a horizontal axis) and to store the item in question in a position that minimizes the unused space.

It is evident that in this embodiment, the storage arrangement will comprise means for turning and/or tilting the items.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the storage arrangement will comprise a safety arrangement to prevent damaging the handled items, such as a safety arrangement to prevent fragile items from being tilted.

As mentioned above, the stored items are preferably postal packages.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from reading the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments of the invention itself, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

In the following description of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will be made to an application for storing postal packages at a post office warehouse.

It is understood that such application should not be construed as limiting and that the invention may also be implemented in other sectors, for the storage of items of any nature, both in fixed installations and in movable installations.

With reference to <FIG>, a postal package storage arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention is schematically shown in a plan view.

Generally, the storage arrangement <NUM> comprises a loading station <NUM>, in which the packages to be stored are delivered and taken charge of by the arrangement, a storage structure <NUM>, in which the packages are stored, and an unloading station <NUM>, in which the packages are returned to be collected by the recipient.

The loading station <NUM> and the unloading station <NUM> may be separated, as in the illustrated example, but may also be coincident.

The storage structure <NUM> comprises a plurality of vertical racks <NUM>, <NUM>, each comprising a supporting frame comprising a pair of main vertical walls <NUM> arranged parallel and facing each other.

Said vertical racks <NUM> are preferably arranged in one or more arrays, arranged along the walls of the environment in which the storage arrangement is installed.

An example of a main vertical wall <NUM> for a rack of the storage structure <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, <FIG>.

As can be seen in said figures, each main vertical wall <NUM> is formed by a flat plate that carries on at least one of the surfaces thereof a plurality of supports <NUM> oriented horizontally (i.e. parallel to the plane on which the wall <NUM> rests) and distributed along the height of the vertical wall <NUM>.

Preferably, the supports <NUM> are all the same and are evenly distributed along the height of the vertical wall <NUM>.

In the example shown, the supports <NUM> are made in the shape of "C"-section guides, but other shapes may also be possible.

For example, in a particularly simple embodiment, said supports could be made in the form of cantilevered slats mounted on at least one surface of the plate forming the vertical wall <NUM>.

Each rack is formed by arranging a pair of equal main vertical walls <NUM> parallel and facing each other, arranged with the respective surfaces carrying the supports <NUM> facing each other. Note that the racks can be made with main vertical walls that differ in size and/or the spacing of the supports provided thereon.

It is evident that providing racks formed by main vertical walls <NUM> that carry differently sized and/or distributed supports <NUM> increases the degrees of freedom in the construction of the structure <NUM> and in the storage of the packages.

With reference to <FIG> and the arrays of vertical racks <NUM>, <NUM> illustrated therein, it will also be clear to the person skilled in the art that the intermediate racks can be made:.

The supports <NUM> of the vertical walls <NUM> of the vertical racks <NUM>, <NUM> are adapted to accommodate and support removable supporting elements in which the packages are received and which will be described in detail in the following.

Similarly to that described in <CIT>, a package - on its supporting element - can be inserted in a vertical rack by selecting the most advantageous supports to ensure sufficient space for the package and at the same time minimize unused space; in other words, said package will be placed on the free supports immediately above an underlying package already present in the storage structure.

According to the invention, at least two dimensions of the package to be stored in directions perpendicular to each other are taken into account in determining the space in which the item is to be stored.

In particular, in the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, in addition to the height of the package, its width is also taken into account.

Accordingly, the storage structure <NUM> of <FIG> comprises a first group of vertical racks <NUM> whose main vertical walls are arranged at a first distance L1 from each other and a second group of vertical racks <NUM> whose main vertical walls are arranged at a second distance L2 from each other, different from - and for example greater than - said first distance L1.

In this way, once a package has been measured at the loading station <NUM>, it will be directed to a rack of the first rack group <NUM> if its width is lower than said first width L1 and to a rack of the second rack group <NUM> only if its width is greater than said first width L1.

In this way, the empty lateral spaces between the package and the main vertical walls of the rack in which it is received can be minimized.

Although two rack groups with different widths are illustrated in <FIG>, it is apparent that the storage structure <NUM> could comprise any number of vertical rack groups with different widths.

In particular, the number of groups and the values of the selected widths can be selected from time to time depending on the specific applications.

Note that as an alternative to the configuration of <FIG>, it would also be possible to provide that the main vertical walls of all the vertical racks are at the same distance from each other and that in at least one rack group each rack comprises a vertical bulkhead removably arranged between and parallel to the main vertical walls of said rack.

In this way, a first column of compartments having a first certain width defined by the distance between a first main vertical wall and the additional vertical wall consisting of said vertical bulkhead and a second column of compartments having a second certain width defined by the distance between said additional vertical wall consisting of said vertical bulkhead and the second main vertical wall would be defined in the vertical rack.

It is evident that such a bulkhead would be provided on both opposite surfaces with supports <NUM>, sized and distributed in the same way as the main vertical walls of the corresponding rack.

It could also be envisaged that said parallel vertical bulkhead can be selectively positioned at a plurality of different positions between the main vertical walls of the corresponding rack, thus greatly increasing the number of possible widths for the compartments that accommodate the packages.

In a particularly sophisticated embodiment of the invention, it would also be possible to provide for mounting said main lateral walls - and said parallel vertical bulkheads, if provided - movable on guides or rails, so that the distance therebetween can be modified. As can be seen in <FIG>, in the illustrated embodiment the removable supporting elements <NUM>, <NUM> that accommodate the packages to be stored are made in the form of trays or drawers whose edges are adapted to be inserted and slide inside the "C" supports <NUM> of the vertical wals <NUM> of the vertical racks <NUM>,<NUM>.

For this purpose, removable supporting elements with different widths will be provided in the loading station <NUM>, in as many as the different widths of the different groups of vertical racks.

In particular, in the example shown in <FIG>, the loading station will be provided with trays or drawers <NUM> having said first width L1 of said first vertical rack group <NUM> and trays or drawers <NUM> having said second width L2 of said first vertical rack group <NUM>.

Additionally or alternatively to the mechanical coupling between the removable supporting elements <NUM>, <NUM> and the edges of the supports <NUM> of the vertical racks, it is also possible to provide a magnetic coupling between said removable supporting elements and said supports. For this purpose, the edges of said removable supporting elements and/or said supports may be arranged for mutual magnetic coupling.

For example, the edges of the removable supporting elements may be provided with magnets and the supports may be made of ferromagnetic material, or vice versa.

In a particularly simple embodiment of the invention, measuring the package size and evaluating the most suitable location may be done manually.

According to the invention, the storage arrangement <NUM> comprises:.

The sensor system may include sensors adapted to determine the package size.

However, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, it is also possible to provide that each package is provided with a code in which information relating to its size is stored; in this embodiment, the sensor system will comprise a tool for reading said code.

The storage arrangement <NUM> may further comprise a robotic handling device <NUM>, provided with gripping means <NUM> for grasping the trays <NUM>, <NUM> and controlled by said control system, which transfers the packages from the loading station <NUM> to the storage structure <NUM> and thereafter from the latter to the unloading station <NUM>.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention:.

In this embodiment, the control system communicates the most advantageous configuration (e.g. by displaying them on a screen or similar display means) to an operator so that the operator can arrange the package on the appropriate tray in the suggested position.

Alternatively, it would also be imaginable that the robotic handling device <NUM> itself is provided with means for turning the package, i.e. for rotating it about a vertical axis, and/or means for tilting the package, i.e. for rotating it about a horizontal axis, and for transferring it in this turned and/or tilted position to the storage structure.

In this embodiment, the storage arrangement preferably comprises a safety system, comprising for example a code shown on the package and detectable by the sensor system, to prevent packages with fragile contents from being rotated (in particular tilted).

In the preferred second embodiment of the invention illustrated in <FIG>, in addition to the height of the package, both its width and its depth are taken into consideration.

Accordingly, the storage structure <NUM> comprises a first group of vertical racks <NUM> whose main vertical walls are arranged at a first distance L1 from each other and have a first depth P1 (understood as extension in a direction perpendicular to the height of said main vertical walls) and a second group of vertical racks <NUM> whose main vertical walls are arranged at a second distance L2 from each other, different from - and for example greater than - said first distance L1 and have a second depth P2 (understood as extension in a direction perpendicular to the height of said main vertical walls) different from - for example greater than - said first depth P1.

In this way, once a package has been measured at the loading station <NUM>, it will be directed to a rack of the first rack group <NUM> if its width is less than said first width L1 and its depth is less than said first depth P1 and to a rack of the second rack group <NUM> only if its width is greater than said first width L1 or its depth is greater than said first depth P1.

In this way, not only the empty lateral spaces between the package and the vertical walls of the rack in which it is received, but also the space behind the package, can be minimized. Although two rack groups with different widths and depths are illustrated in <FIG>, it is apparent that the storage structure <NUM> could comprise any number of vertical rack groups with different widths and depths.

In particular, the number of groups and the values of the selected widths and depths can be selected from time to time depending on the specific applications.

Evidently, trays or drawers of different widths and depths and corresponding to those of the compartments defined on said vertical racks will be provided in the loading station <NUM>.

In the third embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the storage structure <NUM> provides a first group of vertical racks <NUM> of given width and depth.

In the second rack group <NUM>, compartments of different depths are formed by providing between the main vertical walls of each rack <NUM> a vertical bulkhead <NUM> arranged between and perpendicular to the main vertical walls of said rack, so as to define two columns of compartments 42a, 42b of reduced depth.

In order to be able to access the compartments of both of said columns, the racks <NUM> of this second group of vertical racks are mounted on rotatable platforms <NUM>, which can be rotated about a vertical axis (in particular <NUM>°) to alternatively provide the operator or robotic handling system <NUM> access to the compartments of either of said compartment columns 42a, 42b.

As can be clearly seen in <FIG>, the provision of the rotatable platforms <NUM> results in a limited increase in dimensions, largely compensated by the possibility of doubling the compartments potentially available on the racks <NUM> of the second vertical rack group.

Also in the embodiment of <FIG>, rotatable platforms are used to increase the capacity of the warehouse without a considerable increase in the overall dimensions.

In this embodiment, the storage structure <NUM> comprises a first vertical rack group comprising vertical racks <NUM> with a first width and a first depth, a second vertical rack group comprising vertical racks <NUM> with a second width and a second depth, a third vertical rack group comprising vertical racks <NUM>' with said first width and said first depth and arranged on rotatable platforms <NUM> on a first row of racks <NUM>'a and a second row of racks <NUM>'b arranged on opposite sides of the rotation axis of the corresponding rotatable platform <NUM>, and a fourth vertical rack group comprising vertical racks <NUM>' with said second width and said second depth and arranged on rotatable platforms <NUM> on a first row of racks <NUM>'a and a second row of racks <NUM>'b arranged on opposite sides of the rotation axis of the corresponding rotatable platform <NUM>.

In this way, by rotating the rotatable platforms <NUM>, <NUM> by <NUM>° it will be possible to access the racks of the first row <NUM>'a, <NUM>'a or, alternatively, the racks of the second row <NUM>'b, <NUM>'b respectively of said third and said fourth group of vertical racks.

As can be seen in <FIG>, by appropriately sizing the rotatable platforms and the vertical racks mounted thereon, it will be possible to introduce additional racks (the racks <NUM>'b and <NUM>'b of the second rows) without a significant increase in the overall dimensions.

From the above description of the storage arrangement <NUM> according to the invention, it is evident that the method for storing items according to the invention provides for using the arrangement described above and:.

As described above, the method according to the invention could provide the step of:.

From the above description, it will be clear to the person skilled in the art that the invention achieves the objects set forth above, as it allows to use the space of the environment in which packages or other items must be stored in a significantly improved manner compared to the known solutions.

It will also be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the embodiments described above have been provided by way of example only and that numerous modifications and variants are possible without departing from the scope of protection as defined by the appended claims.

Claim 1:
Arrangement for storing items (<NUM>), comprising a loading station (<NUM>), a storage structure (<NUM>) and an unloading station (<NUM>), wherein said storage structure (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of vertical racks (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'), each comprising at least a pair of vertical walls (<NUM>) arranged parallel and facing and provided, at least on the faces facing each other, with a plurality of supports (<NUM>), arranged at different heights and adapted to receive removable supporting elements (<NUM>, <NUM>) carrying said items to be stored, wherein said removable supporting elements are made in the form of trays or drawers (<NUM>, <NUM>), each of which can be inserted into and removed from the supports (<NUM>) of a pair of facing vertical walls of one of said vertical racks (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'), each removable supporting element, once inserted on respective supports of said facing vertical walls of one of said vertical racks, defining with said vertical walls a compartment for storing an item, each removable supporting element (<NUM>,<NUM>) being adapted to carry a single item and each compartment being consequently adapted to store a single item,
and said storage structure (<NUM>) comprises at least two vertical rack groups (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>'), wherein the distance between said vertical walls (<NUM>) arranged parallel to and facing each other of the vertical racks of one of said vertical rack groups is different from the distance between said vertical walls (<NUM>) arranged parallel to and facing each other of the vertical racks of another one of said vertical rack groups
characterized in that said storage arrangement comprises a sensor system for determining the size of an item to be stored, at least two dimensions of the item in directions perpendicular to each other being taken into account in determining the space in which the item is to be stored, and a control system provided with a memory unit in which the geometry of said storage structure (<NUM>) and the arrangement of the items already present in said storage structure (<NUM>) are memorized, and arranged to determine, based on the output of said sensor system and the data contained in said memory unit, in which vertical rack and on which supports of said vertical rack to place said item to be stored.