EP0793433B1 - Device for storing and dispensing small objects - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for storage, storage and distribution controlled small objects and especially keys.

We know that the management of small objects, such as the keys, pose to the organizations in charge of management of a large number of these small objects, various problems and in particular those of knowing at a moment any given key references which are in stock and the names of the persons who are in possession of keys that are no longer stored.

The most used technique to ensure this type of management consists in storing the keys by inside with a key cabinet traditional fitted with hooks provided with means identification. Each hook thus receives one or several keys of a specific lock and, in these conditions, the user wishing to have a key stored either for a person in charge of storage and distribution of keys is carried out himself storing and picking up the keys which he requires.

This classification mode presents notable disadvantages which are due to the fact that due to its manual in nature, it cannot be used to ensure safe and efficient management of a number of keys important.

We have proposed, in other areas, and particularly in the automotive field, automatic classification of car spare parts which consist of a series of columns and rows cells thus forming a matrix, the content of each cell being accessible by robotic means controlled in particular by computer.

This type of device ensures, so efficient, managing a very large number of small objects but has the disadvantage of requiring complex and expensive servo mechanisms.

A device for storing, storing and distribution of keys comprising a housing and a series of cells having an access opening is described for example in EP-A-291614

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for storing small objects, and in particular keys, particularly suitable for management automated, in particular management managed by computer, and that is of a constitution particularly simple and inexpensive.

The subject of the present invention is therefore a device for storing, storing and controlled distribution of small items, such as including keys, including a case and a series cells intended to collect each at least one object, characterized in that the cells are arranged on a drum in the shape of a cylinder of revolution, mounted rotating around its horizontally arranged axis, each of said cells comprising at least one orifice access which opens on one of the bases of the drum and which are grouped by successive series of orifices, each orifice of the same series belonging to the same radius of a drum base, this device comprising drum control and indexing means suitable for bring it into respective positions such as each of said series of orifices can be arranged along a fixed radius determined relative to the housing, and means of addressing and accessing each of the orifices of the series of orifices arranged along said fixed radius determined.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cells are inclined relative to the axis of rotation and are closed by a fixed wall relative the housing, this fixed wall being pierced by two rectangular windows that extend vertically and radially respectively above and below the axis of rotation, and which respectively communication with the outside of the drum, the means addressing and access include access ports of two diametrically opposite series of cells of the means for closing each orifice of the two said series of cells, individually addressable, being provided in each window. Preferably the alveoli are cylindrical in shape and their axes of respective symmetry are arranged in planes successive radials of the drum.

In one embodiment of the invention, the shutter means are constituted by shutters. Preferably, each flap is pivotally mounted in a conduit, so as to occupy two positions, namely a first position in which it ensures the obturation of the access orifice of a cell opposite of which it is arranged, and a second position in which it frees access to said orifice. In a mode of implementation of the invention the shutter, when it located in the second position closes the cross section of the conduit, so as to guide an object through an alveolus or out of it.

According to the invention the control means and drum position indexing can include a stepping motor engaged therewith and means of logic and counting able to control the rotation of the stepper motor the number of steps corresponding to a drum rotation such as the series of orifices to which belongs to the selected cell either positioned along said determined fixed radius.

La figure 1 est une vue en coupe frontale d'un mode de mise en oeuvre du dispositif suivant l'invention, suivant la ligne I-I de la figure 2.

La figure 2 est une vue en coupe transversale de ce même dispositif, suivant la ligne II-II de la figure 1.

La figure 3 est une vue partielle, à plus grande échelle, de la figure 2, montrant des alvéoles de rangement situées au-dessous de l'axe de rotation du tambour de stockage, dans laquelle un volet d'obturation d'une de ces alvéoles est en position ouverte.

La figure 4 est une vue partielle à plus grande échelle de la figure 2, montrant des alvéoles de rangement situées au-dessus de l'axe de rotation du tambour de stockage, dans laquelle un volet d'obturation d'une de ces alvéoles est en position ouverte.

La figure 5 est une vue frontale partielle, à plus grande échelle, du tambour mis en oeuvre dans le dispositif suivant l'invention.

La figure 6 est une vue en coupe frontale du mode de mise en oeuvre représenté sur les figures 1 à 5, suivant la ligne VI-VI de la figure 2, les goulottes d'alimentation et de récupération étant ôtées.

La figure 7 est une vue en coupe partielle d'une variante de mise en oeuvre de l'invention représentant la partie inférieure du tambour de stockage et des moyens d'adressage et d'accès à chacun des orifices des alvéoles d'une même série.

La figure 8 est une vue partielle suivant la ligne VIII-VIII de la figure 7 des moyens d'adressage et d'accès à chacun des orifices des alvéoles d'une même série.

La figure 9 est une vue partielle en coupe d'une variante de mise en oeuvre de l'invention.

La figure 10 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne X-X de la figure 11 d'un mode de mise en oeuvre de l'invention.

La figure 11 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne XI-XI du mode de mise en oeuvre de l'invention représenté sur la figure 10.

According to the invention, the position of the access orifice of a specific cell is determined in a coordinate system of the polar coordinate type, namely on the one hand by the trigonometric angle formed by the series to which said part belongs. specific cell with respect to a reference series and, on the other hand, by the distance of this specific cell from the center of the drum. We can of course simplify this system and replace the trigonometric angle by a simple number assigned to each series of cells and replace the distance from the cell to the center, in a given series, by a number counted for example from center of the drum, the control and indexing system itself calculating the number of steps required.

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, along line II of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of this same device, along line II-II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial view, on a larger scale, of FIG. 2, showing storage cells located below the axis of rotation of the storage drum, in which a shutter for closing one of these alveoli is in the open position.

Figure 4 is a partial view on a larger scale of Figure 2, showing storage cells located above the axis of rotation of the storage drum, in which a shutter for closing one of these cells is in the open position.

Figure 5 is a partial front view, on a larger scale, of the drum used in the device according to the invention.

Figure 6 is a front sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5, along the line VI-VI of Figure 2, the feed and recovery chutes being removed.

Figure 7 is a partial sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the invention showing the lower part of the storage drum and means for addressing and accessing each of the orifices of the cells of the same series .

Figure 8 is a partial view along line VIII-VIII of Figure 7 of the addressing means and access to each of the orifices of the cells of the same series.

Figure 9 is a partial sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Figure 10 is a sectional view along line XX of Figure 11 of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view along line XI-XI of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 10.

In Figures 1 to 4 the following device the invention comprises a parallelepiped housing 1 to the interior of which is arranged a cylindrical drum 3 provided with a hub 5 rotatably mounted on bearings 7 horizontal axis xx ', integral with the housing 1.

The drum 3 is delimited by a wall cylindrical device 9 and by a flat bottom 11 perpendicular to the axis xx '. The drum 3 contains a plurality of cells 12 each intended to accommodate keys.

These cells 12 are formed of tube elements cylindrical 15, of rectangular section, one of which end is pressed against the wall 11, so that this constitutes a bottom of each of the cells 12.

The tube elements 15 are assembled together, and fixed to the drum, in particular by gluing, so as to constitute a given number N of series of tube elements 15. The tube elements 15 of the same given series are arranged so that their respective axes of symmetry are located in a radial plane of the drum 3 and are inclined at a given angle a relative to the axis of rotation xx 'thereof. The tube elements 15 located below the axis xx ′ are thus inclined from the top to the bottom when one goes (in FIGS. 2 and 3) from the center of the case 1 towards the outside thereof and in the opposite direction for the tube elements 15 situated above the horizontal axis xx '.

The other end of the tube elements 15 is closed by a vertical wall 17 integral with the housing 1. This wall 17 is pierced with two windows rectangular, (figure 6) namely a window upper window, or recovery window 19, and a window bottom, or 19 'loading window, which extend vertically and radially, respectively above and below the hub 5. The windows 19, 19 'open onto respective ducts of rectangular section, at know an upper duct 21, or duct of recovery, and a lower duct 21 ', or loading. The recovery duct 21 opens, at its lower part, on a recovery chute 23 which opens into the front wall 25 of the housing 1, by an orifice 27 which terminates outside of the housing 1 on a recovery tank 29.

The loading duct 21 'opens, as for him, at his upper part, on a chute load 23 'which opens into the front wall 25 of the case 1 through an orifice 27 '.

The peripheral wall 9 of the drum 3 is provided a toothing 28 engaged with a pinion 31. This pinion 31 is integral with rotary drive means, which may consist, in particular, of a stepper motor not, or any other likely means of training to be controlled by indexing means, one of which first function is to allow positioning of any series of cell orifices 12 facing one of the windows 19, 19 'and of which a second function will be specified below. The wall 17 in which are window 19, 19 'is provided with a series of flaps 30, mounted articulated around horizontal axes 32, and which are of dimensions close to the orifices 13 of the cells 12. These flaps 30 are provided with means for control allowing them to occupy two positions, know a first position in which they ensure the closure of cell 12 in front of which they are arranged, and a second position, or position opening, in which they ensure the extension of the "floor" of a cell (for cells arranged below the axis of rotation xx ') or the "ceiling" an alveolus (for alveoli arranged above the axis of rotation xx ').

The flaps 30 can for example be actuated by electromagnets, not shown in the drawing.

The second function of the control means and indexing is to enable or disable the electromagnets controlling the opening of the flaps 30. These the latter are provided with recall means such as springs, not shown in the drawing, which, in the absence of solicitation of the electromagnets, the apply in the closed position.

In the figures, the drum 3 comprises sixteen series of cells 12 (N = 16) spaced from each other by an angle at the center of 22.5 °. Given the width of the cells 12, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the series of successive cells have different numbers of cells, so that there are main series, of n ₁ cells 12, beginning to touch the hub 5 and which are interspersed with intermediate series of n ₂ cells which begin as soon as the spacing of the main series is sufficient to interpose an intermediate series. Control and indexing means make it possible to present any of these 16 series of cells 12 in front of the windows 19, 19 'and addressing and access means make it possible to open any of the flaps 30 giving access to each of (n ₁ or n ₂ ) cells 12 of this series.

We will now describe the operations to be performed to load a key, in a determined cell 12 and, conversely, to extract a key stored in a cell 12.

To store a key, when the means of management (IT or other) have established in which cell 12 determined a given key must be placed, initially the control means and indexing positions the drum 3 so that the series in which the determined cell is located found next to the vertical loading window 19 '. Secondly, the means of access ensure the excitation of the electromagnet controlling the opening of the flap 30 allowing access to cell 12 in which we want to store the key. Once this operation performed, the user enters said key by the orifice 27 'provided in the housing 1, and the latter descends by gravity into the 23 'loading chute then in the loading duct 21 ', until that it comes into contact with the open flap 30 which, at the way of a referral, then directs it in the cell 12 chosen. After a time delay determined, allowing the key to descend into the cell 12, the excitation of the electromagnet is cut off, so that the flap 30 returns to its closed position of the cell, under the effect of a return spring.

When, conversely, we wish to withdraw a key stored in a determined cell 12, the means of control and indexing rotate the drum 3, so that the series of cells in which is found the alveolus 12 containing the key is facing the recovery window 19. We see that in this position, the slope of the cells 12 is directed in the direction reverse, namely down, so it is enough to control the opening of the flap 30 closing the entry of the cell 12, by exciting its electromagnet, to allow the key in it to go down by gravity in the recovery duct 21, then in the chute 23 and finally in the recovery tank 29. After a delay covering the travel time of the key in the device, the excitement of the electromagnet of the shutter 30 is cut, so that it returns to its closed position of cell 12, under the action of its jurisdiction.

The device can be controlled by means semi-automated or fully automated management systems.

In a semi-automated management system the user has for example a table of manual control on which it displays the location of the key he wishes to either store or collect, know the serial number and the position of the cell inside this series. Control means and appropriate indexing points determine the angle of rotation that the drum 30 must perform to position the series containing the cell considered facing either the recovery window 19 either at the storage window 19 '. Then addressing and access means allow to access the selected cell of this series.

In automated management mode, the search for coordinates of a cell is entrusted for example to a microcomputer which has, in a memory file, the key references and its coordinates, and which controls automatically, by means of a interface, on the one hand the rotation of the drum 3 so to bring the series of the cell associated with the key seen facing recovery windows or storage, then the excitation of the electromagnet ensuring the opening and then the closing of said cell 12.

As shown in Figure 3, each cell may include means for determining whether it may or may not contain a key. These means can by example consist of a proximity sensor reacting to the presence of a metallic mass in alveolus 12 or, on the contrary, consist of two conductive elements isolated from each other, namely a conductive element 40 disposed in the "floor" and a conductive element 40 'disposed on the bottom of the cell 12, which are brought into electrical contact with each other by the presence of a key in this cell 12.

Of course, the cells 12 can be tilted in reverse, i.e. from bottom to top when we go from the center of box 1 outwards, for the cells located below the axis xx '. In such a mode of implementation the positions of the conduits loading 21 'and recovery 21 are reversed.

The cells 12 can also be formed by any means other than the assembly of tube elements. They can in particular be obtained by machining in the drum 3 mass, folding and welding etc ...

In an implementation variant of the invention, shown in Figures 7 and 8, the means of addressing and accessing each of the cells of a series of cells do not consist of flaps controlled by electromagnets but with a load 50 formed by a set of tubes 52 mounted sliding into each other so as to form a telescopic assembly ending at its downstream part, or lower in FIGS. 7 and 8, by a "nozzle" of distribution 54 which opens in the immediate vicinity of access holes 13 of the cells 12.

The lower element 56 of the telescopic assembly has two lateral longitudinal bosses 58, each crossed by an endless screw 60, which are in taken with it. Control means result in rotation of the endless screws 60, so as to position the opening of the nozzle 54 opposite the orifice 13 chosen from the series of holes in front of the window lower 19 '.

This mode of implementation thus replaces the addressing means constituted by the flaps 30 and the electromagnets controlling the opening of these.

In one embodiment of the invention, means are provided for subjecting the drum to vibrations when inserting or removing a object, so as to avoid jamming, or allow his release if he is stuck.

We can have in different places the device according to the invention of the means allowing to monitor important areas of the device so as to control its proper functioning or, on the contrary, detect an operating anomaly. As shown in Figure 9, we can thus arrange at the base of the conduit 56 which ensures the distribution of the keys to the cells 12, a 70 monitoring which allows you to check whether the keys distributed by the "nozzle" 54 are well brought up to their final destination, namely in a cell 12.

The monitoring devices can be devices able to be triggered and implemented remotely, using in particular lines telephone or radio link means.

Figures 10 and 11 show means of access to each of the cells 12 of a series cells which are accessible through the upper window 19 produced in the wall 17. Thus, in the recovery duct 21 a succession of flaps shutters 30 which are pivotally mounted around axes 32 'vertical and which ensure the obturation of all alveoli which open onto the upper window 19. A toothed pinion 72, centered on the axis 32 ', is secured to the flap 30 and is engaged with a horizontal rack 76. The rack 76 extends out of the duct 21 and carries, at its outer end, a head 78. In these conditions, all traction on head 78, directed following arrow G, has the effect of causing opening the flap 30 by pivoting it to inside the duct 21. Reminder means elastic, not shown in the drawing, are provided on each rack 76 to bring it back to its rest position and thus ensure positioning shutter 30.

The solicitation of each rack 76 is carried out by a claw 80 secured to an axis 82 an electromagnet 84 which, when energized, displaces claw 80 in the direction of arrow G. The electromagnet 84 is placed in a housing 85 provided with a nut 86 which is engaged with a vertical worm 88. In giving the worm 88 a rotation of a number of appropriate turns, it is thus possible to position the claw 80 so that it can solicit one any of the racks 78. This device allows thus to order the opening of any of the shutters 30 closing a series of cells arranged in the window 19.

Claims (12)

1. Device for the controlled storing, storage and dispensing of small objects, such as in particular keys, comprising a box (1) and a series of receptacles (12) intended each to receive at least one object, characterized in that the receptacles (12) are disposed on a drum (3) in the form of a cylinder of revolution, mounted to rotate about its horizontally disposed axis (xx'), each of said receptacles (12) comprising at least one orifice for access (13) which opens on one of the bases of the drum (3) and which are grouped in successive series of orifices (13), each orifice (13) of the same series belonging to the same radius of a base of the drum (3), this device comprising means for control and indexation of the drum (3) adapted to take the latter into respective positions such that each of said series of orifices (13) can be disposed along a determined fixed radius with respect to the box (1), and means for addressing and accessing each of the orifices (13) of the series of orifices disposed along said determined fixed radius.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the receptacles (12) are of cylindrical form and their respective axes of symmetry are disposed along successive radial planes of the drum (3).
3. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the receptacles (12) of the same series are parallel.
4. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the receptacles (12) are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation (xx') of the drum (3).
5. Device according to Claim 4, characterized in that the receptacles (12) are closed at least at their lower end by a wall (17) fixed with respect to the box (1), this wall (17) being pierced with a radial and vertical window (19) giving access to each of the orifices of the series of orifices disposed along said determined fixed radius, the device comprising means for obturating each of the lower openings of the receptacles (12), the opening of which may be controlled by addressing means.
6. Device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the obturation means are constituted by pivoting flaps (30).
7. Device according to Claim 4, characterized in that the receptacles (12) are closed, at least at their upper end, by a wall (17) fixed with respect to the box (1), this wall being pierced with a radial and vertical window (19'), the device comprising addressing means allowing access to the upper end of any one of the receptacles (12) of the series of receptacles of which the inlets are disposed in the window (19').
8. Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that each orifice (13) for access to a receptacle (12) is obturated by a flap (30) which is pivotally mounted in a conduit for charging objects (21'), so as to occupy two positions, namely a first position in which it ensures obturation of the orifice (13) for access to a receptacle (12) opposite which it is disposed, and a second position in which it releases the access to said orifice (13).
9. Device according to Claim 8, characterized in that, in said second position, the flap (30) obturates the cross section of the charging conduit (21') so as to ensure guiding of an object in a receptacle (12).
10. Device according to one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the means for control and indexation of the drum (3) comprise a motor, particularly a stepper motor, in mesh with the drum (3) and logic and counting means adapted to control a given number of rotations of the motor in order to position, along said determined fixed radius, the series of orifices to which the selected receptacle (12) belongs.
11. Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that said addressing means comprise a conduit (52, 56) of which the downstream end terminates in a "nozzle" (54) mounted mobile along said determined fixed radius, adapted to be positioned opposite any one of the orifices (13) for access to the series of receptacles (12) positioned along said determined fixed radius.
12. Device according to one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that it comprises means adapted to subject the drum (3) to vibrations.

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