EP2181046A1

EP2181046A1 - Shuttle palette for a storage system

Info

Publication number: EP2181046A1
Application number: EP08802743A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Dietrich Haaf
Original assignee: Cabka GmbH
Current assignee: Cabka GmbH
Priority date: 2007-11-06
Filing date: 2008-10-02
Publication date: 2010-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-02
Also published as: DE102007054521A1; US20100236456A1; US8555787B2; ATE526246T1; CA2705038A1; MX2010005077A; EP2181046B1; JP2011502085A; WO2009059667A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a shuttle palette comprising three load-bearing bridges (3) and three longitudinal carriers (19). Said shuttle palettes are disposed below a conventional transport palette and said composite is stored in a high-shelf storage system.

Description

Title: Shuttle pallet for a storage system

description

In automated storage systems, such as high-bay warehouses, transport pallets, preferably Euro-wooden pallets, automatically conveyed by roller conveyors, chain conveyors, stacker cranes and / or other facilities, brought to the desired storage space of the storage system and removed again when needed.

It is known that the wooden pallets used sometimes lead to considerable disruption of operations; in particular by the use of inferior wood material in wood pallets fed from outside the storage system, the number and extent of malfunctions seems to increase.

Even if undamaged wooden pallets are entered into the storage system, the loading of the skids by the conveyor system can lead to damage to the wooden pallets and thus to malfunctions.

Inferior wooden pallets usually also have relatively large deviations of their geometry from the specified dimensions in standards, which can also make disturbing noticeable.

As a result, for example, in storage systems which store only their own wooden pallets, particularly expensive wooden pallets made of selected woods are used. This solution can not be selected for storage systems which mainly store pallets delivered by third parties. Further, in many storage systems there is a need to also store pallets with smaller main dimensions than the standard pallet (half pallet, quarter pallet) mixed with standard pallets.

To avoid these problems is known from DE 42 42 472 Al a beam for wooden pallets is known, which consists essentially of a shell that is accurately adapted to the underside of the wooden pallet. In this shell, the loaded wooden pallet is inserted before entering the storage system and removed after leaving the storage system again. This solution has not been successful in practice.

Known automated storage systems usually require the use of pallets with runners, i.a. because of the roller conveyors used. The use of inexpensive nestable pallets, which usually do not have skids and therefore are not roller-path, is denied.

Plastic pallets with runners, which are not equipped with special equipment, such as Steel reinforcement, are equipped, also can not be used in automated storage systems in the rule, since the caused essentially by creep of the plastic material deformation can lead to malfunction. With elaborate auxiliary carriers, which additionally support the pallets on the spanned length, the problem of deformation can be solved.

At the same time plastic pallets with skids are estimated to be fundamentally more reliable than wooden pallets due to their geometric integrity and dimensional accuracy. Occasionally Therefore, high-quality plastic pallets are used in automated high-bay warehouses. But these expensive pallets are also subject to considerable wear.

Disclosure of the invention

The invention is based on the object to avoid the malfunction caused by wooden pallets in automated storage systems, and to allow the use of damaged pallets and the storage of half or quarter pallets. In addition, the use of nestable transport pallets, which usually have no skids to be made possible in storage systems of the type mentioned.

This object is achieved by a shuttle pallet for a high-bay warehouse, which has for storage of goods located on pallets furnished storage, with three parallel longitudinal members, with at least two orthogonal to the longitudinal beams extending load-carrying bridges, wherein the longitudinal members and the load bearing bridges are hinged together.

Advantages of the invention

The use of an additional shuttle pallet eliminates "inadequacies" of the pallets to be stored. Thus, for example, transport pallets made of wood whose dimensions no longer comply with the prescribed standard dimensions or in which smaller parts are chipped off, are placed on the shuttle pallet according to the invention. The transport pallet with the goods stored on it becomes then moved together with the shuttle pallet in the automated storage system, for example by roller conveyors, chain conveyors, stacker cranes and other more, and finally stored in a storage bin and removed again when needed. Only the shuttle pallet according to the invention has contact with the roller conveyors, chain conveyors, stacker cranes and the storage bins of the storage system, the transport pallet has no direct contact with the storage system, so that inadequacies of the transport pallets, not affect the storage system. As a result, inadequacies of the transport pallets can be eliminated and the shuttle pallet according to the invention can be fully optimized to the requirements within the storage system.

In order to enable a possible low-wear sliding of the shuttle pallet in particular the roller conveyor, the feet of the load receiving bridges are inventively designed so that the side members can move to each other in the XZ plane, wherein the movement is impressed by unevenness of the roller conveyor. Therefore, the feet are advantageous as resilient joints, in particular as a leaf spring-like joints executed, which allow small movements.

It is provided in an advantageous embodiment of the invention that the longitudinal members of a wear-resistant and rigid semifinished product, in particular of a pipe section made of structural steel or aluminum and more preferably made of a tube with annular cross-section with or without flattening. Thereby, the contact between the roller conveyors and chain conveyors can be limited to the longitudinal beams of structural steel or a material with a smaller modulus of elasticity. These side rails are because of their Materials are naturally very wear-resistant and can therefore be used for a long time without significant wear.

Other longitudinal members according to the invention consist of profiles with rigid cross-section, which have on the tread a larger contact area than a tube with annular cross-section to the conveyor (roller conveyors, etc.) to reduce the surface pressure and the resulting stresses. According to the invention, this may be, for example, a flattened to the tread, but otherwise substantially circular tube, or a T-profile. Of course, this can also be achieved by other profiles with rigid cross-section, which have a larger contact area to the conveyor on the tread. As a result, the ^" surface pressure (Hertz 'see pressure) is reduced between longitudinal members and, for example, the rollers of a roller conveyor and thus reduces the stresses occurring thereby.

The Hertz's pressure can be further reduced if a material with a small modulus of elasticity is used as steel. This can be aluminum, for example.

Furthermore, it is possible by the inventive longitudinal members of a rigid profile to store even heavily loaded transport pallets in the storage bins of the high-bay warehouse on crossbars, since the longitudinal beams according to the invention have sufficient flexural rigidity.

To ensure that the weight of the goods stored thereon is reliably introduced into the side members by the load-carrying bridges, feet are formed on each load-bearing bridge. Advantageously, the side members are only positively secured against falling out in the event that the shuttle pallet is raised.

Particularly preferably, the longitudinal members are connected by a snap connection or a clip connection löobar with the load receptacles for bridges. If the connection is made detachable, it is also possible to exchange individual longitudinal members or even individual load-bearing bridges in the event of damage, so that the cost-effectiveness of the shuttle pallets according to the invention is further improved.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the load receiving bridges are formed rigid in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal members. In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that are provided between two load-receiving bridges in the direction of the longitudinal members extending spacers. This ensures that the load-carrying bridges can not move relative to each other. As a result, the dimensions of the shuttle pallet according to the invention do not change even with heavy and multiple stress and it is a trouble-free operation in the automated storage system guaranteed.

The spacers and the load receiving bridges may be integrally formed. As a result, it is only necessary to complete the shuttle pallet according to the invention, on the underside of the load-carrying bridges the longitudinal beams, which preferably consist of a tube with an annular cross-section einzuclipsen. The load-bearing bridges may be preferred made of plastic, in particular HDPE and / or recycled plastic. As a result, even complicated geometries and a weight-optimized design can be easily realized.

So that the shuttle pallet according to the invention can also be raised and transported with rack feeders, forklifts and others, it is provided that two recesses extending in the longitudinal direction are present between the longitudinal carriers on the underside of the shuttle pallet. Advantageously, the distance between the center axes of the recesses is between 340 mm and 400 mm, and particularly preferably 370 mm.

The height of the recess is advantageously greater than 85 mm and the width of the recesses is greater than 160 mm.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the dimensions of the shuttle pallet, in particular its length and width correspond to at least the standard dimensions of so-called transport pallets, in particular Euro pallets. As a result, it is firstly possible to place the standardized transport pallets on the shuttle pallets and the shuttle pallets according to the invention can be used in already existing high-bay warehouses. For this it may only be necessary to slightly increase the height of the storage bins, namely by the height of the shuttle pallet according to the invention.

In order to further improve the introduction of force between the transport pallets placed on the shuttle pallets according to the invention and the longitudinal members, the invention is provided in a further advantageous embodiment, at an upper side of the shuttle Form pallet load receiving points, wherein the distances of the load-receiving points from each other corresponds to the distances of the feet of a standard range, in particular a euro pallet. This concentrates the introduction of force from the transport pallet into the shuttle pallet at defined load pick-up points. Particularly advantageously, these load-receiving points are arranged vertically above the feet of the shuttle pallet. As a result, the bending stresses due to weight forces between transport pallet and shuttle pallet are minimized.

In order to reduce the wear of the shuttle pallet according to the invention at the top in the region of the load receiving points, the shuttle pallet can be provided in the region of the load receiving points, in particular by shells made of a wear-resistant material, such as sheet steel, in a further advantageous embodiment. to reinforce.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the invention are the following drawings, the description and the claims removable. All features disclosed in the drawing, the description and the patent claims can be essential to the invention both individually and in any desired combination.

drawing

Show it:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a shuttle pallet according to the invention with three load-carrying bridges from above;

FIG. 2 shows the load-carrying bridges according to FIG. 1 without spacers;

Figure 3 is a view of the shuttle pallet according to the invention without and with inserted side rails;

Figure 4 is a front view of a foot and with clipped-on longitudinal member;

Figure 5 is a front and side view of a shuttle pallet according to the invention on a roller conveyor;

FIG. 6 shows a shuttle pallet with reinforced load receiving points;

FIG. 7 shows a shuttle pallet with two pallets in half format on it;

Figure 8 a plurality of stacked shuttle pallets according to the invention and

Figure 9 shows several embodiments of suitable cross sections of side rails. Description of the embodiments

FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a shuttle pallet 1 according to the invention with a total of three load bearing bridges 3 in an isometric view. The load-bearing bridges 3 are designed rigid in the direction of a Y-axis and have a plurality of ribs 5, which extend substantially in the direction of the Y-axis. The ribs 5, which have not all been provided with reference numerals for reasons of clarity, ensure the desired flexural rigidity in the direction of the Y-axis, while maintaining a low dead weight.

In the area of load-bearing points 7, the ribs 5 are reinforced by transverse ribs 9. Overall, there are nine load receiving points 7, which correspond to the load receiving points of conventional transport pallets in terms of arrangement and distance. If, for example, a Euro pallet (not shown) is placed on the shuttle pallet according to the invention as a typical representative of a transport pallet, the feet of the Euro pallet stand with its feet in the area of the load receiving points 7 on the shuttle pallet 1 and the weight of the transport pallet or the goods located thereon is introduced via the load receiving points 7 in the shuttle pallet 1.

As can be seen clearly from the isometric illustration according to FIG. 1, an edge 11 of the shuttle pallet 1 is slightly raised in relation to the inner area, so that a transport pallet (not shown), which is on the shuttle pallet, is secured laterally and in all directions against slipping is. Below the load receiving points 7 feet 13 are formed on the load receiving bridges 3. According to the number of load receiving points 7 there are nine feet 13 on the shuttle pallet 1 according to the invention. This ensures that the weight forces which are introduced via the load receiving points 7 into the shuttle pallet 1 are discharged directly downwards via the feet 13 can. As a result, the bending stress of the shuttle pallet 1 according to the invention is minimized.

Between the arranged in the direction of an X-axis, corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle pallet 1, 13 feet spacers 15 are provided, which ensure that the load-bearing bridges 3 are fixed relative to each other in the direction of the X-axis. In the embodiment shown, the spacers 15 and the load receiving bridges 3 are integrally formed. However, it is also possible to detachably connect the spacers 15 to the load receiving bridges 3, so that if one or more parts (3, 15) of the shuttle pallet 1 according to the invention are damaged, they can be exchanged and the remaining parts can be reused.

The load receiving bridges 3 are designed so that they can be well undercut by the fork of a stacker crane (not shown). For this purpose, 3 recesses 18 are formed between the feet 13 of a load-receiving bridge. The storage and retrieval unit moves its fork down the shuttle pallet 1 and sets the loaded shuttle pallet 1 in the parking space.

In Figure 2, three load-carrying bridges 3 are shown without spacers. It is clear that the shuttle pallet 1 according to the invention is torsionally soft, so that the shuttle pallet 1 can twist when it is parked, for example, on an uneven shelf, or slides over a roller conveyor, in which not all roles are arranged exactly in one plane. Even with the spacers 15, the shuttle pallet 1 is torsionally soft.

Identical components are provided with the same reference numerals and it is the case with respect to the other figures said accordingly. For reasons of clarity, not all figures have been entered in all figures.

As is clearly visible from FIG. 2, snap-in connections 17 with a circular segment-shaped cross-section are formed in the feet 13 of the load-carrying bridges 3. These snap connections 17 extend in the direction of the X-axis and serve to receive a longitudinal carrier (not shown), which preferably consists of a steel tube with a circular cross-section. At the ends of the shuttle pallet 1, the snap connections 17 are closed, so that the side member can not move in the direction of the X axis relative to the load receiving bridges 3.

In FIG. 3 a, the shuttle pallet 1 according to FIG. 1 is shown isometrically from below. It is clear that the snap connections 17 extend over the entire length of the shuttle pallet 1 and are also formed in the spacers 15.

In Figure 3b longitudinal members 19 are introduced into the snap connection 17. Thereby, a positive and simultaneously releasable connection between the side rails 19 and the feet 13 and the spacers 15 of the shuttle pallet 1 is produced. The longitudinal members 19 may consist of commercially available steel tube with an annular cross-section and are firstly cost-effective, Second, wear-resistant and, thirdly, rigid. As a result, the shuttle pallet 1 according to the invention can be loaded with large weights without the shuttle pallet sagging even in the case of long dwell times in a storage location.

FIG. 4 shows a cross section through a foot 13 with an inserted longitudinal member 19. In this embodiment, the longitudinal member 19, as in the other embodiments, also formed as a pipe with an annular cutout. The snap connection 17 consists of a circular segment-shaped portion which comprises more than 180 ° and is open at the bottom. This makes it possible to introduce the longitudinal member 19 in the snap device 17 from below. In this case, the snap device 17 or the foot 13 is expanded laterally and springs back into its ürsprungslage back as soon as the longitudinal member 19 has arrived in the position shown in Figure 4 within the foot 13 for a short time.

Below the longitudinal member 19 projects slightly beyond the foot 13, so that the contact between a roller conveyor or a carrier on which the shuttle pallet is placed, takes place exclusively on the longitudinal member 19 and not on the foot 13.

FIG. 5 shows part of a shuttle pallet according to the invention as it slides over a roller conveyor. In the right part of Figure 5 is a side view is shown. It is clear that the longitudinal members 19 are in direct contact with the rollers 21 of the roller conveyor. This greatly reduces the wear on the shuttle pallet. If one of the side members 19 should be so worn or damaged by frequent use, it can be replaced without tools and in the shortest possible time on site.

FIG. 6 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a shuttle pallet according to the invention. The shuttle pallet is located on two spars 23 of a high-bay warehouse. The distance between the spars 23 to each other corresponds to the distance that such spars have 23 in conventional high-bay warehouses and is naturally tuned to the length of the Euro pallets or the shuttle range.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 6 reinforcements 25 are provided at the load receiving points 7, which prevent the wear of the shuttle pallets in this area. These reinforcements may be formed as shells 25 or metal strips. Again, not all shells 25 are provided with reference numerals for reasons of clarity.

Because of the great flexural rigidity of the longitudinal members 19 (not visible in FIG. 6), the shuttle pallet according to the invention does not deflect even when it rests on the uprights 23 for a long time and with high weight. This makes it possible to store plastic pallets or nestable plastic pallets in a high-bay warehouse, which bend without the additional reinforcement by the longitudinal members 19 according to the invention over time under the load and thereby cause disturbances in the high-bay warehouse.

FIG. 7 shows a shuttle pallet according to the invention, which is provided with two transport pallets 27.1 and 27.2 loaded in half format. This is readily possible because the load receiving points 7 have a corresponding size. A dividing line between the two transport pallets in half format is provided with the reference numeral 29.

In Figure 8, a plurality of stacked pallets are shown stacked, which are located in a free space of a high-bay warehouse and the lowest rests on two bars 23.

In Figure 9a, a longitudinal member 19 is shown in cross section. In this embodiment, the annular cross section has a flattening 31. In the installed state, the flattening 31 points downwards and thereby increases the contact surface between the longitudinal members 19 and the rollers 21 of a roller conveyor (see FIG. 5).

In Figure 9b, a longitudinal member 19 is shown in cross section. In this embodiment, the longitudinal member 19 is formed as a T-profile 33. This also increases the contact area between the longitudinal member 19 and the rollers 21 of a roller conveyor.

In Figure 9c, a longitudinal member 19 is shown in cross section. In this embodiment, a T-profile and an annular portion are combined. The annular portion serves to attach the longitudinal member 19 to the load receiving bridges 3 while the T-profile 33 forms the contact surface between the longitudinal member 19 and the conveyor and bearing technology (21, 23).

Claims

claims

1. Shuttle pallet for a high-bay warehouse, which has for the storage of goods located on pallets equipped storage bins, with three mutually parallel longitudinal members (19) with at least two orthogonal to the longitudinal members (19) extending load receiving bridges (3), wherein the longitudinal members (19) and the load receiving bridges (3) are hinged together.

2. Shuttle pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that the longitudinal members (19) made of a wear-resistant and rigid semifinished product, in particular of mild steel or aluminum.

3. Shuttle pallet according to claim 2, characterized in that the longitudinal members (19) of a tube with an annular cross-section with or without flattening (31) and / or a T-shaped cross-sectional area.

4. Shuttle pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on each load-bearing bridge

(3) feet (13) are formed, and that the longitudinal members (19) in the region of the feet (13) are connected to the load-receiving bridges (3).

5. Shuttle pallet according to claim 4, characterized in that the longitudinal members (19) by a snap connection

(17) or a clip connection with the load receiving bridges (3) are connected.

6. Shuttle pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the longitudinal members (19) through a detachable connection with the load receiving bridges (3) are connected.

7. Shuttle pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the load receiving bridges (3) orthogonal to the longitudinal members (19) are formed rigid.

8. Shuttle pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between two load receiving bridges (3) in the direction of the longitudinal beams

(19) extending spacers (15) are provided.

9. Shuttle pallet according to claim 8, characterized in that the spacers (15) and the load receiving bridges

(3) are integrally formed.

10. Shuttle pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the load receiving bridges (3) made of plastic, preferably made of HDPE and / or recycled plastic.

11. Shuttle pallet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on an underside of the shuttle pallet (1) two in the longitudinal direction ((x-axis)) extending recesses (18) are present.

12. Shuttle pallet according to claim 11, characterized in that the distance between the center axes of the recesses (18) between 340 mm and 400 mm, in particular 370 mm.

13. Shuttle pallet according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the height of the recesses

(18) is greater than 85 mm, and that the width of the recesses is greater than 160 mm.

14. Carrier according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the dimensions of Recesses (18) correspond to the standard dimensions of transport pallets.

15. Load carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on an upper side of the shuttle pallet (1) load receiving points (7) are provided, and that the distances of the load receiving points (7) from each other the distances of the feet (13) of a standardized pallet , in particular a EURO pallet.

16. A load carrier according to claim 15, characterized in that the top of the shuttle pallet (1) in the region of the load receiving points (7) is reinforced, in particular by shells (25) made of a wear-resistant material, such as steel.