Automatic rack storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764900-B2
Application number	US-201414914700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a rack storage system comprising a storage rack ( 1 ) with storage shelves ( 12 a, 12 b ) having storage spaces ( 17 ) for articles in rack stages ( 16 ) lying one above the other with a rack aisle ( 15 ) extending in between. Several guide tracks with first and second guide rails run along the rack aisle ( 15 ) ( 27, 28 ). First and second conveyor vehicles ( 3 a, 3 b ) can be moved on the guide tracks, each of the conveyor vehicles ( 3 a, 3 b ) having a drive motor ( 65 a, 65 b ) and an electronic control unit ( 66 a, 66 b ) and being controllable independently of one another. The first guide rail ( 27 ) is equipped with a first contact line arrangement ( 67 ) and the second guide rail ( 28 ) is equipped with a second contact line arrangement ( 68 ), each of the contact line arrangements ( 67, 68 ) comprising dedicated contact lines ( 69, 70 ). For energy and/or data supplying purposes, current collectors ( 71 a ) of the first conveyor vehicle ( 3 a ) contact the contact lines ( 69 ) of the first contact line arrangement ( 67 ) and current collectors ( 71 b ) of the second conveyor vehicle ( 3 b ) contact the contact lines ( 70 ) of the second contact line arrangement ( 68 ). The first conveyor vehicle ( 3 a ) and the second conveyor vehicle ( 3 b ) can be moved simultaneously and independently of one another on the same conveying track.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Automatic rack storage system comprising:
a storage rack comprising storage shelves, said storage shelves comprising storage spaces for articles in rack stages, said rack stages lying one above the other,
a rack aisle extending between the storage shelves and between first and second storage rack sides of the storage rack,
an article handling unit comprising at least a first article elevator device, the first article elevator device comprising a first conveyor device, wherein said first conveyor device can be raised and lowered for storing and/or retrieving articles,
a plurality of guide tracks running along the rack aisle in at least some of the rack stages, each guide track comprising a first guide rail and a second guide rail, the first and second guide rails of the respective guide track extending as far as the article handling unit or extending past the article handling unit,
at least a first conveyor vehicle and a second conveyor vehicle for conveying the articles between the storage shelves and the article handling unit, wherein the at least first and second conveyor vehicles are moved along the respective guide track on the first and second guide rails, and wherein each of the at least first and second conveyor vehicles respectively comprises a drive motor and an electronic control unit and can be controlled independently of one another, and
at least one conveyor system connected to the first article elevator device for conveying articles to or from the first article elevator device,
wherein the first guide rail is equipped with a first contact line arrangement and the second guide rail is equipped with a second contact line arrangement and each of the first and second contact line arrangements comprises separate contact lines,
wherein the first conveyor vehicle contacts the contact lines of the first contact line arrangement via current collectors to obtain a power and/or data supply and the second conveyor vehicle contacts the contact lines of the second contact line arrangement via current collectors to obtain a power and/or data supply, and
wherein the first conveyor vehicle and the second conveyor vehicle can be moved along at least one of the guide tracks on the first and second guide rails thereof simultaneously and independently of one another.

2. A rack storage system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second contact line arrangements respectively comprises an electric isolator and two separate contact lines electrically isolated from one another by the isolator.

3. A rack storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the first contact line arrangement and corresponding contact lines exclusively form a first power supply bus,
wherein the second contact line arrangement and corresponding contact lines exclusively form a second power supply bus,
wherein motor currents and/or control currents for the drive motor and/or for the electronic control unit of the first conveyor vehicle can be transmitted via the first power supply bus, and
wherein motor currents and/or control currents for the drive motor and/or for the electronic control unit of the second conveyor vehicle can be transmitted via the second power supply bus.

4. A rack storage system according to claim 3 , wherein the electronic control unit of the first conveyor vehicle and the electronic control unit of the second conveyor vehicle are connected to a central control system via a common, wireless communication network, and
wherein said communication network is a radio network that enables a two-way data transmission.

5. A rack storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the first contact line arrangement and corresponding contact lines form both a first power supply bus and a first data bus,
wherein the second contact line arrangement and corresponding contact lines form both a second power supply bus and a second data bus,
wherein both motor currents and/or control currents as well as data transmission signals for the drive motor and/or for the electronic control unit of the first conveyor vehicle can be transmitted via the contact lines of the first contact line arrangement, and
wherein both motor currents and/or control currents as well as data transmission signals for the drive motor and/or for the electronic control unit of the second conveyor vehicle can be transmitted via the contact lines of the second contact line arrangement.

6. A rack storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide rails are secured to a first shelf and the second guide rails are secured to a second shelf,
wherein the first guide rails respectively comprise:
a projecting web facing the first shelf,
a top flange disposed at an angle with respect to the projecting web and having a horizontal running surface for running wheels of the first and second conveyor vehicles,
a bottom flange disposed at an angle to the projecting web, and
a guide web extending at an angle from the top flange in the direction towards the bottom flange and a guide surface for a first guide device of the first conveyor vehicle,

wherein the second guide rails respectively comprise:
a projecting web facing the second shelf,
a top flange disposed at an angle with respect to the projecting web and having a horizontal running surface for running wheels of the first and second conveyor vehicles,
a bottom flange disposed at an angle to the projecting web, and
a guide web extending at an angle from the top flange in the direction towards the bottom flange and comprising a guide surface for a second guide device of the second conveyor vehicles,

wherein the first and second contact line arrangements are each respectively arranged inside the profiled cross-section of the first guide rails and the second guide rails.

7. A rack storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the current collector of the first conveyor vehicle is disposed on a side of the conveyor vehicle facing the first guide rail.

8. A rack storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the current collector of the second conveyor vehicle is disposed on a side of the conveyor vehicle facing the second guide rail.

9. A rack storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the article handling unit further comprises a first buffer device,
wherein the first article elevator device and the first buffer device are disposed outside the rack aisle as a unit, and
wherein the first buffer device comprises waiting devices in the direction of the rack aisle on one of the sides of the first article elevator device, said waiting devices being included in at least some of the rack stages for buffering one or more articles to be stored and/or retrieved.

10. A rack storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the article handling unit further comprises:
a second article elevator device comprising a second conveyor device, wherein the second conveyor device can be raised and lowered for storing and/or retrieving articles, and
a second buffer device,
wherein the second article elevator device and the second buffer device are disposed outside the rack aisle as a unit, and
wherein the second buffer device comprises waiting devices on one of the sides of the second article elevator device, said waiting devices being included in at least some of the rack stages for buffering one or more articles to be stored and/or retrieved.

11. A rack storage system according to claim 10 , wherein the first article elevator device and the second article elevator device are installed spaced apart from one another by at least an aisle width, and
wherein the first article elevator device and the second article elevator device are arranged opposite one another

Assignees

• Tgw Logistics Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Grosse Eric

Classifications

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B60L5/40

  for collecting current from lines in slotted conduits · CPC title

• B60M1/34

  in slotted conduits · CPC title