Self-driving storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994407-B2
Application number	US-201615767834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A self-driving storage device for storing and/or transporting body components of motor vehicles, base modules of motor vehicles, or motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, the self-driving storage device comprising a base element and a support structure which is arranged on the base element, is designed to receive the body components or the motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, and has a plurality of storage spaces with movable storage base elements, wherein the storage device has a movement device which is arranged on the base element and is designed such that the storage device can be moved omnidirectionally in a self-driving manner, in a floor-bound manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A storage device for storing and/or transporting body components of motor vehicles, base modules of motor vehicles, or motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, the storage device comprising:
a base element and a support structure which is arranged on the base element, is designed to receive the body components or the motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, and has a plurality of storage spaces with movable storage base elements, wherein
the storage device has a movement device which is arranged on the base element and is designed such that the storage device can be moved omnidirectionally in a self-driving manner, in a floor-bound manner,
the support structure comprises a lifting tower comprising a lifting device for vertically moving the storage base elements and two storage towers arranged on either side of the lifting tower, the storage towers comprising the storage spaces,
at least one storage base frame is provided per storage tower,
the support structure comprises vertical guide rails for guiding the storage base frame,
at least one storage base vertical drive is provided and is designed such that the at least one storage base frame is vertically movable in the storage tower,
the storage base vertical drive is a rack-and-pinion drive,
a storage base horizontal drive is provided and is designed such that a storage base element can be moved horizontally into a storage space by the lifting device,
the storage base horizontal drive is a rack-and-pinion drive,
the lifting device comprises a lifting platform and is designed such that the lifting platform can be moved vertically between a loading position and at least one storage position,
the lifting device comprises a cable drive or chain drive,
the lifting tower comprises guide rails for guiding the lifting platform,
the movement device is designed to be incorporated into a material flow system, and
the movement device comprises at least three swivel drives.

2. The storage device according to claim 1 , wherein
the swivel drives can be actuated and/or swiveled independently of one another.

3. The storage device according to claim 2 ,
wherein
the storage device comprises at least one loading device designed to be arranged on a storage base element.

4. The storage device according to claim 3 , wherein
the loading device comprises a main body and telescopic arms that can be telescopically extended out of the main body.

5. The storage device according to claim 4 , wherein
the loading device comprises a support ridge that is arranged in the center of the main body orthogonally to a longitudinal extension of the main body and can be extended orthogonally to the longitudinal extension, and
the loading device comprises support pegs that can be extended orthogonally to the longitudinal extension of the main body at the free ends of the telescopic arms.

6. A material flow system comprising at least one driverless transport vehicle (DTV) for transporting body components of motor vehicles, base modules of motor vehicles, or motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, and a storage device according to claim 5 .

7. A storage device for storing and/or transporting body components of motor vehicles, base modules of motor vehicles, or motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, the storage device comprising
a base element and a support structure which is arranged on the base element, is designed to receive the body components or the motor vehicles in a final or partially assembled state, and has a plurality of storage spaces with movable storage base elements, wherein
the storage device has a movement device which is arranged on the base element and is designed such that the storage device can be moved omnidirectionally in a self-driving manner, in a floor-bound manner
the support structure comprises a lifting tower comprising a lifting device for vertically moving the storage base elements and two storage towers arranged on either side of the lifting tower, the storage towers comprising the storage spaces,
at least one storage base frame is provided per storage tower,
the support structure comprises vertical guide rails for guiding the storage base frame,
at least one storage base vertical drive is provided and is desisted such that the at least one storage base frame is vertically movable in the storage tower,
the storage base vertical drive is a rack-and-pinion drive,
a storage base horizontal drive is provided and is designed such that a storage base element can be moved horizontally into a storage space by the lifting device,
the storage base, horizontal drive is a rack-and-pinion drive,
the lifting device comprises a lifting platform and is designed such that the lifting platform can be moved vertically between a loading position and at least one storage position,
the lifting device comprises a cable drive or chain drive,
the lifting tower comprises guide rails for guiding the lifting platform,
the movement device is designed to be incorporated into a material flow system, and
the movement device comprises at least six swivel drives.

8. A self-driving storage device for storing and/or for transporting in particular body components of motor vehicles, in particular base modules of motor vehicles, or finally-assembled or partially-assembled motor vehicles, having a base element and a support structure which is arranged on the base element, and is designed to receive the body components or the finally-assembled or partially-assembled motor vehicles and has a plurality of storage spaces having movable storage base elements, the self-driving storage device comprising:
a movement device which is arranged at the base element and is designed such that the storage device can be moved omnidirectionally in a self-driving manner, in particular in a floor-bound manner, wherein
the storage base elements are displaceable,
the support structure comprises a lifting tower having a lifting device for vertically moving the storage base elements and two storage towers which are arranged on respective opposite sides of the lifting tower,
the storage lowers having the storage spaces and at least one storage base frame being provided per storage tower,
the support structure has vertical guide rails for guiding the storage base frame,
at least one storage base vertical drive being provided, which is designed such that the at least one storage base frame in the storage tower is vertically movable and a storage base horizontal drive is provided, which is designed such that a storage base element is horizontally movable to a storage space by means the lifting device,
the storage base vertical drive is a rack-and-pinion drive,
the storage base horizontal drive is a rack-and-pinion drive,
the lifting device comprises a lifting platform and is designed such that the lifting platform is vertically movable between a loading position and at least one storage position,
the lifting device has a cable drive or chain drive,
the lifting tower has guide rails for guiding the lifting platform,
the movement device is designed to be incorporated into a material flow system, and
the movement device has at least three swivel drives.

9. The self-driving storage device according to claim 8 , wherein
the swivel drives are actuated and/or swiveled independently of one another.

10. The self-driving storage device according to claim 9 , wherein
the self-driving storage device has at least one loading device which is designed to be arranged on a storage base element.

11. The self-driving storage device according to claim 10 , wherein
the loading device h

Assignees

• Univ Stuttgart

Inventors

• Wehking Karl-Heinz
• Hofmann Matthias
• Schroeppel Markus

Classifications

• B62D65/022

  Transferring or handling sub-units or components, e.g. in work stations or between workstations and transportation systems · CPC title

• B25H5/00 Primary

  Tool, instrument or work supports or storage means used in association with vehicles; Workers' supports, e.g. mechanics' creepers {(collecting or removing exhaust gases in workshops B08B15/002; vehicle lifting devices, e.g. jacks, platforms or ramps B66F)} · CPC title

• B65G1/06

  with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level (B65G1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title