Patent Description:
In the field of production system logistics, ergonomic high-bay warehouses, in which materials, semi-finished products or goods can be stored and retrieved as required, are known.

Are known examples of a vertical warehouse comprising a number of columns which face each other to allow the positioning of supports or shelves where the goods to be stored can be placed. The minimum number of columns for a vertical warehouse is two, preferably four, but this number obviously varies according to the type of warehouse.

The use of vertical warehouses makes it possible to realise a long series of benefits, among which the following should be mentioned the optimisation of space utilisation, both vertical and horizontal; the possibility of increasing the frequency of hourly picking and storage operations; the reduction of errors during picking and storage operations; greater safety and improved ergonomics for warehouse operators; better protection of goods and easier monitoring of stored goods; easier handling of goods; the possibility of integrating and connecting the vertical warehouse with company management information systems, for example, with an "Enterprise Resource Planning" (ERP).

An example is the document <CIT> that describes a device for lifting articles (<NUM>) as a stack has bearers (<NUM>, <NUM>) on which are fitted holders (<NUM>) for the articles. These can be slid along the bearers to alter their position. In particular, <CIT> discloses a system according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

Another example is the document <CIT> that describes a unit that has four uprights fixed on a lower plate, where each uprights carries a wheel. A chain is wound on the wheel to form two strands extending vertically along the uprights. An end of one of the two strands is connected to a spring. An end of the chain is connected to a frame, where the chain comprises a tab, where tab projects into loading space parts to serve as support and wedging units for an edge of the unit. A further document is <CIT> that describes a load/unload system for vertical warehouses, which allows physical effort to be reduced and as a consequence a better quality of work for operators, as well as a reduction of load/unload times.

Known warehouses have the disadvantage that they require handling mechanisms, such as hydraulic or electronic mechanisms, for each column and therefore require the presence of several operators or a synchronisation between the movements of the individual columns to be managed by an operator. This makes the goods handling process long and laborious.

In addition, the columns according to the known technique can only move downhill. In other words, the movement of the supports, with which each column is equipped and on which the goods are placed, only takes place in the downward direction. In fact, it is difficult to move in the opposite direction, i.e. upwards, as the transmission mechanisms must overcome the weight force (of the supported goods) weighing on the column supports. Therefore, in the known columns, the movement of the supports is always carried out with the supports unloaded.

There is therefore a need to define an automated column system that is free from the above-mentioned drawbacks.

The aim of the present invention is therefore an innovative automated column system for vertical storage applications. The aim is achieved by designing the column system in such a way that the movement of the columns is synchronised automatically. The synchronisation takes place by means of a plurality of joints controlled by an electrical or mechanical drive.

In addition, an innovative motion transmission system allows the reversal of the motion of the supports of the column and the possibility to move the supports also uphill in the presence of a load on them.

These and other purposes and advantages are achieved, according to the invention, by an innovative automated column system for vertical warehouses, having the features set forth in the appended independent claim.

Further preferred and/or particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are described according to the features disclosed in the appended dependent claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example implementation, wherein:.

With reference to <FIG>, a system of automated columns is indicated with the reference <NUM>. The system is suitable for vertical warehouses, used for the storage and transport of industrial products. The automated columns <NUM> must be at least two in number and facing each other, but according to a preferred embodiment illustrated in <FIG> they are four in number. Naturally, if the logistics of the warehouse require it, the number of columns can also be higher, for example six or eight.

The automated columns <NUM> can be connected to each other according to the need and the type of product to be stored or transported, by means of a framed structure <NUM>, which preferably takes on a parallelepiped configuration in the three directions of the space. At the centre between the columns <NUM> there may be an electric drive <NUM> preferably powered at <NUM> volts and connected to a number of mechanical transmissions, preferably cardan joints <NUM>, equal to the number of columns <NUM>. In the example of <FIG> this number is four. The use of the central electric drive <NUM> and the mechanical transmissions allows all four columns <NUM> to be operated simultaneously. The control of the drive motor can be automated remotely.

With reference to <FIG>, as an alternative to the electric drive, the universal joints <NUM> are actuated by means of two pairs of pedals (of known type and therefore not shown in the figure), a first pair of pedals on one side of the framed structure <NUM>, a second pair of pedals on the opposite side. For each pair of pedals, a first pedal actuates the columns <NUM> on the way up, the second pedal actuates them on the way down. The presence of two pairs of pedals is linked to the fact that the columns must move two by two clockwise (a first pair) and counterclockwise (a second pair facing the first pair) to perform the same upward or downward movement of the supports carrying the goods.

According to a further embodiment of the invention and with reference to <FIG>, the control of the universal joints <NUM> and, therefore of the columns <NUM> is achieved by means of two pairs of levers <NUM>, a first pair of levers on columns <NUM> of one side of the framed structure <NUM>, a second pair of levers on the opposite side. For each pair of levers, a first lever actuates the columns <NUM> for ascending, while a second lever, mounted symmetrically with respect to the first lever actuates the columns <NUM> for descending. The presence of two pairs of levers is linked to the fact that the columns must move two by two clockwise (a first pair) and anticlockwise (a second pair facing the first pair) in order to perform the same upward or downward movement of the supports carrying the goods.

Still with reference to <FIG>, each of the automated columns <NUM> comprises a box structure <NUM> with an almost square cross-section, fixed to a base plate and formed by two vertical side walls in stainless steel or aluminium or similar. In the same <FIG>, a plurality of supports <NUM> can be seen which move, by means of a transmission system <NUM> (visible in <FIG>), to move the goods of the vertical warehouse. The transmission system <NUM>, for example a chain <NUM>, according to known technique comprises a plurality of dowels which are fixed by means of rivets to the central structure of the chain. The chain <NUM> can accommodate a variable number of supports <NUM> capable of supporting the elements (goods, general cargo, etc.) that will be loaded by the operator onto the vertical magazine.

Supports <NUM> are advantageously made of polyethylene (or polyzene), which is a very light material and widely used in a wide variety of industries. It is used for the production of equipment for the chemical industry, bins and containers, slides and sliding elements, guides and the like. The advantage of using polythene instead of traditional steel is that it is highly resistant to chemicals, water, salt solutions, acids, alkalis, alcohol and petrol. In addition, polyzene is a material with high impact strength (even at low temperatures) and low friction coefficient, with excellent non-stick properties.

With reference to <FIG>, the motion of the supports <NUM> of the columns <NUM> is realized as follows.

The drive of the electric drive <NUM> or of the pedal or of the lever <NUM> is transferred by the cardan joints <NUM> to a lower gear <NUM>, preferably constituted by a pinion - crown gear coupling. From the lower gear <NUM> by means of a lever system <NUM>, motion is transferred to an upper gear <NUM>. The lower and upper gears are coupled to the transmission system (preferably the chain <NUM>) that moves the supports <NUM>. The lever system <NUM> has the function of synchronising the pitch of each automated column <NUM> during the loading of the elements by the operators.

A drum assembly <NUM> comprising a drum <NUM> and a double plurality of spring pins <NUM>, <NUM> is positioned in proximity to the lower gear <NUM>, the plurality of spring pins <NUM> being of greater length than the plurality of spring pins <NUM>. This double plurality of spring pins <NUM>,<NUM> has the function of determining the pitch of the drum <NUM> and, consequently, the advancement of the supports <NUM> mounted on the transmission chain <NUM>, when goods are loaded onto the supports <NUM> by the operator of the vertical warehouse. According to a preferred form of implementation, the pitch of the drum <NUM> calculated in millimetres is dedetermined by varying one or more spring pins so as to change the transmission ratio of the lower gear <NUM>. The feasible pitches are, preferably: <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>.

In the case of mechanical actuation by means of a pedal or lever, a counter for the number of pieces is set to trigger a limit stop <NUM>. In the case of electrical operation by means of the geared motor, the pieces are counted automatically and the geared motor will stop at the set time.

The operation of the automated column <NUM> is as follows: the supports <NUM> move from the top to the bottom (and vice versa, as we shall see below), according to the pitch set on the drum assembly <NUM> and, once they reach the height of the lower gear <NUM>, they rotate downwards, hiding inside the automated column <NUM>.

The operator has the possibility to manually stop the descent of the supports <NUM> by acting on the limit stop <NUM>. The limit stop will block the movement of the transmission chain <NUM> preventing the descent of the supports <NUM>.

Moreover, the present invention, as will be better explained below, allows the columns to be moved both uphill and downhill, contrary to what happens in the case of the columns according to the known technique which have the possibility to move only downhill. In fact, as already mentioned, the columns support the goods to be stored or handled by means of a plurality of supports.

Such supports need to be moved either upwards or downwards, depending on the handling requirements.

The present invention makes it possible to move the supports <NUM> uphill (i.e. upwards) even if they are under load with the goods resting on them. The problem of overcoming the weight force of the goods during upward movement is solved by adopting a suitable transmission ratio between a bevel gear pair <NUM>, located near the lower gear <NUM>, and between the pinion and the crown gear of the lower gear <NUM>. The overall gear ratio is chosen so as to reduce the speed and increase the transmissible torque to overcome the weight of the loads on the supports <NUM>.

The reversal of the motion is realised thanks to the relative positioning between the operating lever <NUM> and the lever system <NUM>: depending on their relative position, one direction of rotation of the transmission chain or the opposite direction can be realised. This is a peculiar feature of the invention not found in examples of columns in the state of the art.

Claim 1:
System (<NUM>, <NUM>) of automated columns for a vertical warehouse comprising:
- a plurality of automated columns (<NUM>) integrally connected to a framed structure (<NUM>), the number of columns (<NUM>) being always even, each of said plurality of automated columns comprising in turn a transmission member (<NUM>) which rotates around an upper gear assembly (<NUM>) and a lower gear assembly (<NUM>) and a plurality of supports (<NUM>), supported by the transmission member (<NUM>), which translate from top to bottom and vice versa by the rotational movement of the transmission member (<NUM>),
- a pneumatic/electrical or mechanical drive
- a plurality of mechanical transmissions (<NUM>) in a number equal to the number of columns (<NUM>), wherein
- the pneumatic/electrical or mechanical drive and mechanical transmissions (<NUM>) synchronize the upward or the downward movement of the plurality of supports (<NUM>) that support corresponding components to be stored,
the system (<NUM>) of automated columns being characterized in that the plurality of mechanical transmissions comprises a corresponding plurality of cardan joints (<NUM>), wherein
- a first column (<NUM>) of the plurality of columns (<NUM>) is provided with a damper element (<NUM>) for braking the downward motion of the supports (<NUM>) during the load step of the components to be stored, and
- said damper element (<NUM>) is a helical spring with variable stiffness, provided with a double taper.