CN1154332A

CN1154332A - Case picking system

Info

Publication number: CN1154332A
Application number: CN 96120522
Authority: CN
Inventors: 威廉·P·汉克斯
Original assignee: Jervis B Webb International Co
Current assignee: Jervis B Webb International Co
Priority date: 1995-11-07
Filing date: 1996-11-07
Publication date: 1997-07-16

Abstract

A storage area lift or elevating apparatus comprising a vertical mast connected to a supporting means, which is capable of supporting the mast in a substantially vertical orientation, a platform coupled to the mast in a manner allowing the platform to be positioned up and down along the mast, and an elevating means positioned on the platform for allowing a cargo bearing surface to be adjusted with respect to the surface of the platform were an operator may be positioned.

Description

Case picking system

Article system is manually deposited and extracted to storage of relate generally to of the present invention and picking system particularly from deposit storage source.

At present, automatically the storage area will be deposited article usually and be deposited in the storage rack that one or more vertical storage units form.Storage unit is divided into the row and column that can determine single storage place.Its big I of these access locations is decided to be stackable single or organize the unit in groups.For example chamber and tray.Equally, its size of automatic conveyor in these warehouses also is fit to pick, transmit and put full-scale single nothing at large.Often situation is bulk goods, any article such as chamber less than one unit (being the one unit space), parcel, luggage and independent can, bottle, box etc.. need be transmitted, extract or be stored in this class storage area.When needs transmit these bulk goods in these storage zones, will pick.That is to say and to pick these article from a storage place in the artificially, perhaps manually these article are put into certain storage place.This is normally by picking a certain amount of bulk goods from one or more places, they is placed on to be resent on the tray that another place finishes then.The process that manually picks these bulk goods is very time-consuming, consumes manpower.In addition, normally, the artificial lifting article that this manual operation process is required are bent over and are stretched out one's hand to pick article regular meeting and make the workman injured, thereby cause losing work-hours and relevant cost.

So far, having proposed multiple automatic system to extract article from storage area.This system generally includes a dolly that is directed, and a vertical mast is arranged above and along the maneuverable elevator of mast.US Patent 5,361,481 (Lloyd et al.), 5,397,211 (Lloyd et al.), 5,170,863 (Devroy), 5,170,713 (Parenski), 5,141,081 (Kregel et al.), 5091,685 (Sorenson et al.) 5,067,592 (Miskin etal.), 5,056,625 (Miskin et al.), 5,048,642 (Lloyd.), 5,044,859 (Sorensen et al.), 5,015,140 (Klring.), 4,967,130 (Sorenson et al) and 4,773,807 (Kroll et al) have proposed this technology.Though this type systematic is suitable for the many application of work, they are not that part manual working place provides operation at accessing article at least.Other automatic system comprises the carrousel type storage rack, but its storage rack parallel motion.US Patent 3,554,391 (Goodell) relate to a circular storage rack, and a transmitter system and two generic operation person bay-lifts are housed above, and a class is placed on the memory cell the inside, several another kind of outsides that are placed on.The operator's bay-lift that is positioned at the outside comprises some parallel columns, and they are fixed on to have formed to support and are suitable for being used for support operation personnel's the floor of fixed mast of elevator of vertical shifting.Wherein said elevator is laid a platform that the item placement zone can be provided.Balcony lift in the patent of Goodell is without any an adjustable surface of depositing, because the operator will promote article so that a stack of articles is placed on other article, this method is promptly brought difficulty to the operator.Be very easy to find as this system and can cause losing time and unnecessary expenditures, particularly hinder under the situation that article are very heavy and/or volume is very big of picking up at need.

We have significantly reduced, have overcome the some or a plurality of of foregoing problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system of from storage rack ground, depositing and extract article.Wherein be used to deposit and become the workman with the design of plant that picks, bend over or the reach after article article being spread out of in the storage rack advance Shi Buxu and lift high article.

Another purpose of the present invention is the picking system of depositing that a bulk goods is provided in automatic storage area.This system has comprised a jacking system, and it provides for depositing the all-pass road that object area can both reach everywhere to the workman, and wherein a kind of like this jacking system is fixed on the carrier, and comprises the zone that a workman is shared.One is fixed on the elevator, can be with the liftable goods bearing surface of the shared regional lifting of workman, and the device that allows operating personal control platform, carrier and the motion of goods bearing surface.

Another purpose of the present invention provides a kind of device, and it can help the workman to be provided with the lifting shelf in the warehouse.Be characterized in that this device can promote the workman or move near this shelf, provide one to provide a liftable storage driving surface simultaneously, so that this is deposited the surface and can instructed according to the height of the article that are deposited in interim storage place to rise or descend and need not to promote like this with respect to the plane that the workman stood.

But another purpose of the present invention provide a kind of device with help in the warehouse workman it have a parallel motion deposit disk or belt conveyor, its feature is, such device can move vertically with respect to the disc type belt conveyor, the storage thing surface that provides the plane of standing with respect to the workman to raise and to fall simultaneously.

After research and having understood described the present invention, these and other objects of the present invention can be apparent.

The present invention is used for depositing a kind of device that picks article in storage has the storage article zone of certain altitude.This device comprises the mast of a perpendicular, and it is fixed on the bracing or strutting arrangement that can hold it on the vertical direction basically.A platform that is connected in versatilely on the mast can move up and down along mast.This platform provides the zone of standing or sitting down for one or more workmans.This platform also provides an adjustable goods bearing surface, on the jacking system that it is fixed on platform links to each other.This jacking system is regulated the height of goods bearing surface with respect to the position of platform, adjustable goods bearing surface can be placed on so a kind of position just in time makes the workman need not to promote goods when deposit position and goods bearing surface send goods or send out goods, need not to bend over or the reach after article.

Describe the present invention in detail below in conjunction with accompanying drawing.Wherein,

Fig. 1 is the birds-eye view that apparatus of the present invention are positioned at the storage zone,

Fig. 2 is the lateral plan before apparatus of the present invention are positioned at storage rack.

Describe the present invention below in detail, before in detail explaining the present invention, be appreciated that the present invention does not limit the arrangement of the parts of listing in that it proposes in being applied to describe below or the accompanying drawing and builds details.The present invention can implement or practice with other embodiment or with various different modes.In addition, it is also understood that the word of using here is should not become restriction for description with term.

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 have shown an embodiment of access system of the present invention, and this system comprises a plurality of storage racks 10, and it is divided into row 12 and row 14.These row and columns have defined the article that some storage places 13 can deposit can deposit in this.Storage rack can be built with the combination material of cement concrete, metal, timber or these materials, but also available any suitable building materials.In addition, these storage racks can level or vertically mobile.These movably storage rack can move at successive loops or in mode back and forth.

Native system also comprises an elevator or lift facility 15 at least, and it is used to make at least one workman and deposits article move near the appropriate position of storage rack so that these article are transmitted out/advance storage place.In one embodiment, elevator comprises along the vertical basically mast 18 vertical platforms of transferring 16.This elevator allows the workman on platform vertically to move by jacking system 21.In comprising the system of static mast lift, storage rack is movable usually.These shelf can be by moving in the known in this regard any mode of industry member.Usually, shelf are by power driven.So that the arbitrary row in the access site can both be put into and fixed mast elevator position adjacent.Perhaps another kind of method, elevator can be connected to any device that can support mast, comprise attached thereon the basis or be positioned on the ground or airborne carrier 20, it can move along one or two direction by on even keel on the regional ground of storage.

A few class airborne carriers known in this field all are suitable for the present invention.This Zhi Zaiji comprises by motor or ICE-powered car, and the car that can partially or completely guide automatically.(AGVs) airborne carrier of these electric power guiding can lead with any known guide system, and these guidance systems comprise: magnetic field, radio signal, or optical signal.Airborne carrier also can be by being arranged at the inside, accessing zone floor or top track guiding.

At the platform upper surface is to be at least zone 24 and at least one Height Adjustable goods stayed surface 22 that a workman continues to employ.A relative work area is housed on the goods bearing surface can makes the device 26 of goods bearing surface translation to desired height.Known various jacking systems all applicable to one of purpose.This equipment comprises a compression machine and jack, and they can be mechanical, an electronic machinery, the combination of hydraulic pressure or these modes.The controller 31 that jacking system can be operated by a workman who is positioned on the platform is so that the goods stayed surface can be raised to desired height quickly and accurately by an electronic hydraulic pressure scissors-type jack.Control pad also can be used for the manoeuvring platform height, also can be airborne carrier moving on the ground.Platform often is made up of at least one work area, is suitable at least one workman's activity, is surrounded by protection railing 30 parts at least.

Mast is any rigid construction that platform can be supported on the horizontal direction.The multiclass structure and material can be suitable for for example single or multi beam joist steel structure of this purpose, tube-in-tube structure and timber and/or concrete structure.

Many platform and vertical mast bonded assembly methods of making known in the art are so that platform can move and guarantee again simultaneously safety along mast.These can include, but not limited to artificial or electric power assist ratchet system, the system that chain drives, and steel rope plays vertical device, gear and rack system.These driven systems can be used for the independent propulsion source of platform motion or be used for the mobile goods bearing surface and/or the also drive power source of removable transport plane by one by one.Propulsion source is suitable for any class propulsion source of this purpose, comprise repeatedly or unidirectional motor or combustion turbine.

Apparatus of the present invention can comprise the control system of permission control all or part movable member a long way off or on this device in addition.The control setup of equipment can be placed in following one or more zones, or airborne carrier, and platform or some are the place at a distance.Usually, elevator is equipped with an operator and is positioned at the control desk that can reach on the platform.This control desk generally can make all motions of operator control device, and can comprise the ability of controlling storage rack.

Storage system also can be equipped with an inventory control system, place, quality, the type of the interior article of locality or whole storage area in the storage area that it can be monitored.All or equipment component in this control system may command storage portions.This class control system stores on the basis of regional quantity in stock also that the may command goods is surface-supported to be directed motion, and arrival can make the goods stayed surface be regulated continuously and remain on required height usually.

In operation, storage rack and equipment all are placed on and deposit and/or pick the required correct position of operation.Platform can be transferred to mast and suitable access location near on a certain position, and the goods stayed surface is regulated by jacking system so that make and is placed on the surface-supported transmission tray of goods just in the bottom surface of the article that need send out from storage place.When hope when the goods stayed surface is sent to storage place to article, the goods stayed surface is adjusted to so that make and is moved the article bottom surface and flushes with the top surface that these article will be transmitted.

The present invention also can be by handling a fixedly airborne carrier elevator enforcement, and the workman on platform can reach the particular column of storage place like this.In the vertical direction adjusting platform can reach specific deposit position up to the workman then.At last, kinds of goods are surface-supported can be adjusted to the surface-supported upper surface of kinds of goods, and it perhaps is that the top of tray perhaps is the top that is deposited in the article on the goods stayed surface, with staff's belly with high.This makes the workman transmit article by allowing article slide into desired location, need not to bend over, and stretches out one's hand enough article or promote article.Because stack of articles is on the goods bearing surface time, surface elevation can reduce by jacking system, and the surface flushes with operator's belly whereby.

Certainly, these control steps can be finished and/or finish simultaneously by any order.These steps can be by the operation repeated multiple times that will finish.

Claims

1. device, it comprises that one is attached to the lower mast on the bracing or strutting arrangement, this bracing or strutting arrangement is used at vertical substantially direction upper support mast, the platform that movably is connected on the described mast can be at the height of institute's degree mast to moving, wherein said platform can support at least one individual and at least one cargo lift, wherein said cargo lift is fixed on the described platform, and comprises that one is used for described relatively platform and promotes or reduce the surface-supported goods that is arranged on the jacking system of described goods and support.

2. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that, said jacking system is a mechanical jack.

3. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that said jacking system is a scissors-type jack.

4. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that described bracing or strutting arrangement is the airborne carrier that moves along the floor.

5. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that described platform remains on the horizontal direction.

6. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that described goods stayed surface remains on the horizontal direction.

7. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that described mast makes with girder steel.

8. the described device of claim 1 is characterized in that described platform is manually to be provided with along said mast.

9. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that described platform is divided into work area and cargo area.

10. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that described work area to small part surrounded by railing.

11. the device described in the claim 1 is characterized in that described platform is equipped with the control setup of the described jacking equipment height of control.

12. the device described in the claim 1, it is characterized in that described control setup controls described jacking equipment, so that when one deck article of being made up of one or more article are placed on the described goods stayed surface, described jacking system can be regulated downwards, so that flushed by the bottom of the article on described goods layer surface of forming and the said goods layer that need be sent to.

13. device as claimed in claim 11, it is characterized in that described control setup is controlled said jacking system so that the ground floor of being made up of the one or more article that are placed on the said goods bearing surface is when being removed, described jacking system can be to adjusted, so that the flush that the bottom surface of the second layer of being made up of one or more article and the second layer that kinds of goods form that need be transmitted will be put.