EP4274789A1

EP4274789A1 - Storage and removal system and station for a storage and removal system

Info

Publication number: EP4274789A1
Application number: EP22846892.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Gebhardt; Joerg EDER.
Original assignee: Gebhardt Foerdertechnik GmbH
Current assignee: Gebhardt Foerdertechnik GmbH
Priority date: 2022-02-10
Filing date: 2022-12-21
Publication date: 2023-11-15
Also published as: DE102022201404B3; US20240190653A1; WO2023151735A1

Abstract

In order to allow for a high-performance and safe operation of a storage and removal system for containers (4), using constructionally simple equipment, the storage and removal system comprises a grid structure (3) with a plurality of grid cells, wherein each grid cell defines a storage column (5) of a container storage structure arranged below the grid structure (3), wherein the storage columns (5) are designed to receive a respective vertical stack of containers (4), and wherein the grid structure (3) defines longitudinal transport paths in a longitudinal direction and transverse transport paths in a transverse direction; and at least one transport vehicle (8) for containers (4) designed for travelling along the longitudinal transport paths and/or transverse transport paths, wherein, by means of a gripper (7) associated with the transport vehicle (8) or the grid structure (3), a container (4) can be moved along a shaft (6) of a station (1) associated with the grid structure (3) in order to create access to at least one container (4), and/or along a storage column (5), coming from a transport vehicle (8), substantially in the direction of a lower end of the shaft (6) or the storage column (5) or in the opposite direction towards the transport vehicle (8), and wherein the gripper (7), the shaft (6) and/or the storage column (5) is assigned a guide device for a guided vertical movement of the gripper (7) outside the shaft (6) or the storage column (5), designed and developed in such a way that a) the guide device has at least one guide element (14) projecting upwards from the gripper (7) for guidingly cooperating with an inner region or structure element of the shaft (6) or the storage column (5) and/or with an upper end element (15) of the transport vehicle (8) and/or gripper (7), and that, at least in the uppermost position of the gripper (7), the at least one guide element (14) projects upwards over an upper end of the transport vehicle (8) or the end element (15) or ends flush with the upper end or the end element (15), and/or b) the guide device has at least one guide element (14) that can travel downwards from a lower end of the shaft (6) or from at least one upright (2) of the shaft (6) for guiding cooperation with the gripper (7) and/or the container (4). The invention also relates to a corresponding station (1) of a storage and removal system of this type.

Description

STORAGE AND WITHDRAWAL SYSTEM AND STATION FOR A STORAGE AND WITHDRAWAL SYSTEM

The invention relates to a storage and removal system for containers, comprising: a lattice structure with a large number of lattice cells, each lattice cell defining a storage column of a container storage structure arranged below the lattice structure, the storage columns being set up to accommodate a vertical stack of containers in each case, and wherein the lattice structure defines longitudinal transport paths in a longitudinal direction and transverse transport paths in a transverse direction, and at least one transport vehicle for containers designed to travel along the longitudinal transport paths and/or transverse transport paths, with a container moving along a shaft of one of the lattice structures by means of a gripper assigned to the transport vehicle or the lattice structure assigned station for creating access to at least one container and/or along a storage column coming from a transport vehicle can be moved essentially in the direction of a lower end of the shaft or the storage column or in the opposite direction towards the transport vehicle and wherein the gripper, the shaft and/or the storage column is assigned a guide device for a guided vertical movement of the gripper outside the shaft or the storage column.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a station for such a storage and removal system.

Storage and removal systems of the type mentioned are known from practice and exist in different embodiments. WO 2020/200631 A1, for example, shows such a storage and removal system 1 for containers 106. The storage and removal system 1 is designed as a block storage. Access to the containers 106 is created by means of a station in the form of a work station, for example a picking work station. The work station can be arranged at different positions on a storage and retrieval system 1, for example on each side of the bulk storage. Transport vehicles 200 on the bulk storage facility can drop containers 106 directly onto a conveyor that feeds a container 106 to an operator can. A plate-shaped gripper 17, with which a container 106 can be gripped, is used to move a container 106 in a shaft of the lattice structure. A guide shuttle 19 serving as a guide device is arranged above the gripper 17, which essentially has the dimensions of a rectangular container and in the corner areas of which rollers are arranged in order to guide the gripper 17 together with the guide shuttle 19 during movement in a shaft and to stabilize and guide a movement of the gripper 17 outside the shaft.

Furthermore, a storage and removal system for containers 106 is known from WO 2021/197867 A1, wherein a gripper 3 for containers 106 has two guide pins 15 on its upper side, which can be inserted into passages 16 of a linear guide 19 mounted on a transport vehicle 10 to guide the grapple 3 as it moves up and out of a shaft. However, this guide device does not allow the gripper 3 to be guided if it moves downwards out of a shaft.

Basically, the invention is very useful when handling containers of different heights, but also containers of the same height in storage and removal systems designed as automatic block storage. This applies, for example, to the storage and transfer of containers of different heights to an employee, to a conveyor system, FT, or to a driverless transport system, AGV, and/or being taken over by an employee, a conveyor system or a driverless transport system.

Many known automated block storage systems are designed to work with only one container height. These systems have become very popular in recent years. The dominant technology up to now was the automatic small parts warehouse, AKL, based on shuttle or storage and retrieval machines, RBG. These AKLs are very flexible with regard to the storage of containers, boxes and trays of different sizes. In addition to different base areas, different heights of these load carriers can also be stored in one system. Since the containers are stacked in automatic block storage, it has become established for the sake of simplicity to use only one container height in a system. EP 1 037 828 B1 shows an automated block storage system with a grid or a lattice structure and containers of the same size, which can be subdivided according to a top view according to FIG. 4 there.

A significant problem arises, for example, when guiding the gripper for containers in the shaft. This usually runs within a shaft on the vertical uprights of the shaft structure or shelf structure. With containers of different heights and the transfer to a workplace, a conveyor system or an AGV, it is necessary for a container of a lower height and at the same time a conventional shaft structure that the gripper leaves the guide through the uprights downwards in order to put down or close the container of a lower height hand over. This threading in and out of the gripper from the guide leads to problems when setting down but also when lifting containers, since, for example, the gripping openings in the container can often no longer be hit exactly as soon as the gripper leaves the guide and is therefore unguided. This can lead to problems in the form of inaccurate positioning of the container and/or the gripper, pendulum movement of the gripper, possible damage to the gripper when moving back into the shaft and/or the gripper only being able to travel slowly outside the guide. It should not be forgotten that external influences can also have an effect on an unguided, freely hanging gripper and container, for example drafts, air currents from an air conditioning system, vibrations from a forklift truck/AGV driving by and vibrating machines in the area, a one-sided or tipping container load that can lead to a tilting of the container, and the like. In this respect, suitable guidance of the gripper outside of the shaft is also very important.

The guide devices known from the prior art in the form of a guide shuttle or an arrangement of a linear guide mounted on the transport vehicle with passages for bolts arranged on the gripper are structurally very complex. In particular, the realization of a guide shuttle above the gripper requires a very high configuration of the transport vehicle with a high housing for accommodating the guide shuttle and gripper when the gripper is in the raised state. This high design of the transport vehicle reduces the driving dynamics of the transport vehicle, since the center of gravity of such a transport vehicle is higher than in transport vehicles without a guide shuttle. As a result, the performance of the storage and retrieval system is reduced.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a storage and removal system and a station for a storage and removal system, according to which powerful and reliable operation of the storage and removal system is made possible with structurally simple means.

According to the invention, the above object is achieved by a storage and removal system having the features of claim 1 and by a station having the features of claim 15.

According to this, the storage and removal system according to claim 1 is characterized in that a) that the guide device has at least one guide element protruding upwards from the gripper for guiding interaction with an inner area or structural element of the shaft or the storage column and/or with an upper closing element of the transport vehicle and/or gripper and that the at least one guide element, at least in the uppermost position of the gripper, projects upwards beyond an upper end of the transport vehicle or the closing element or is flush with the upper end or the closing element and/or b) that the guide device has at least one from a lower end of the chute or from at least one upright of the chute has a guide element which can be moved downwards for guiding interaction with the gripper and/or the container.

Claim 15 claims the station of this storage and removal system.

In a manner according to the invention, it was initially recognized that the above object is achieved in a surprisingly simple manner by skillfully designing the gripper and/or the chute. In a further inventive way specifically according to a), the guide device is equipped with at least one guide element that protrudes upwards from the gripper - for example vertically - with the at least one guide element for guiding interaction with an inner area or structural element of the shaft or the storage column and/or with an upper closing element of the transport vehicle and/or gripper. The interaction with an inner area or structural element of the shaft or the storage column takes place, for example, when the gripper leaves the shaft downwards and would therefore be unguided without the provision of a guide element outside the shaft. In this situation, the at least one guide element can safely guide the gripper—via the guide element—on the shaft. The interaction with an upper closing element of the transport vehicle and/or gripper takes place, for example, when the gripper leaves the shaft or a storage column and would also be unguided in this situation without the provision of a guide element outside the shaft or a storage column. This situation can occur, for example, in a position of the gripper when the gripper is moving to its uppermost position in a transport vehicle and has just left the shaft or a storage column and has not yet reached its uppermost position in the transport vehicle. In this intermediate state, the gripper can move into an unfavorable pivoting or oscillating movement if the transport vehicle is moving on the lattice structure. Such a pivoting movement or pendulum movement can be largely prevented by the at least one guide element.

Furthermore, according to a), the at least one guide element is designed in such a way that, at least in the uppermost position of the gripper, it protrudes upwards over an upper end of the transport vehicle or over the closing element or is flush with the upper end or the closing element. Whether the at least one guide element protrudes upwards beyond the upper end or the closing element or is flush with the upper end or the closing element can be implemented individually and depending on the application. With a correspondingly long configuration of the at least one guide element with a projection upwards, the gripper can be guided leaving the shaft or a storage column is possible to a greater extent than with a shorter configuration of the at least one guide element with a flush finish. The flush closure offers in particular a particularly secure positioning of the gripper in its uppermost position, since interaction of the at least one guide element with an upper end of the transport vehicle or the closure element is possible here. In this case, the at least one guide element can only be guided to a limited extent in the intermediate state described above.

The at least one guide element protruding beyond the upper end or the closing element basically shifts the center of gravity upwards in the transport vehicle and thus worsens the driving behavior or the driving dynamics of the transport vehicle compared to conventional transport vehicles without a guide device. However, the shift in the center of gravity and the deterioration in the driving behavior or the driving dynamics are much lower with the guide device according to the invention compared to the guide device with a guide shuttle known from the prior art, since this guide shuttle requires a significantly increased overall housing structure of the transport vehicle for a recording of the guide shuttle in the uppermost state of the gripper with a significant shift of the center of gravity of the transport vehicle upwards and thus a significant deterioration in the driving behavior or the driving dynamics of the transport vehicle. In the case of the invention, no such raised housing structure is implemented and the driving behavior or the driving dynamics therefore remain essentially at the level of a transport vehicle without a guide device.

In another way according to the invention, alternatively or additionally according to b), the guide device has at least one guide element that can be moved downwards from a lower end of the shaft or from at least one upright of the shaft in order to interact with the gripper and/or the container in a guiding manner when the gripper moved down out of the shaft, for example, to deposit a low container, for example, on a conveyor system or pick up from it. This at least one guide element enables ensures safe threading in and out of the gripper in and out of the shaft. The at least one guide element can be implemented and act like a downward extension of the shaft or a post of the shaft.

Consequently, with the storage and removal system according to the invention and the station according to the invention, a storage and removal system and a station are provided, according to which powerful and safe operation is made possible with structurally simple means.

The station described can be realized in the sense of a work station of the storage and removal system for operating personnel, with several workstations or work stations being able to be realized on or in a lattice structure of the storage and removal system. In the simplest case, a station can be formed by a shaft that is open at the top and bottom. Such a shaft can be implemented like a storage column that is open at the bottom, so that containers can be output downwards using a gripper.

Furthermore, in this document, the term "container" includes any container or any receiving device that is suitable for storing and/or transporting suitable conveyed goods.

With regard to a structurally particularly simple design, the at least one guide element can be elongate and/or flat, for example in the form of an elongate profile element, rod, polygonal tube, polygonal rod, mandrel, flat strip, flat sheet or flat steel. A profile or profile element can be an aluminum extrusion profile and/or have an L, O or I shape. The specific design can be coordinated with the inner area or a structural element of the shaft or the storage column or the closing element in order to enable the safest possible interaction between the guide element and the inner area or structural element of the shaft or the storage column or the closing element.

To ensure a safe and simple interaction between the guide element and the shaft, structural element of the shaft or the bearing column le or closing element, the at least one guide element can have at least one roller and/or at least one sliding strip, for example made of plastic. Such rollers or slide rails can be arranged adjustably on the guide element in order to allow individual adaptation to the shaft, the bearing column or the end element and thus smooth and safe operation.

With regard to a particularly flexible and secure adaptation to the individual conditions of the shaft, structural element of the shaft or the storage column or closing element, the at least one guide element can have a main guide arranged at the level and/or in the area of the gripper and/or an auxiliary guide arranged above the gripper . Such a main guide can be designed to be particularly robust, since the main guide usually acts during any movement of the gripper in the shaft or in the storage column. In contrast to this, an auxiliary guide can be designed to be structurally simpler and lighter, since such an auxiliary guide is usually not used quite as often as the main guide. This enables weight to be saved, which improves the driving dynamics of the transport vehicle when the gripper is completely raised. The auxiliary guide can be integrated into the system of gripper and shaft or storage column and/or end element with a little more play or the same amount of play as the main guide. In an embodiment with a little more play, threading in and out of the shaft or the bearing column is simplified. The main guide can be arranged around the gripper, so to speak, in order to ensure particularly reliable guidance of the gripper in the shaft or in the storage column. If the grab is outside of the shaft or pillar, the main guide will not work. Such a combination of main guide and auxiliary guide can be implemented in such a way that the auxiliary guide leaves the shaft or a post of the shaft or the storage column only at the top and the main guide only leaves the shaft or a post of the shaft at the bottom. This has the advantage that in every state of movement of the gripper, guidance through the shaft or a post of the shaft or the bearing column—either through the main guide or the auxiliary guide—is guaranteed. The guidance can be partially guaranteed only by means of a sliding strip on the guide element. Here the sliding strip always remains, ie in every position of the gripper the shaft or upright of the shaft or the support column engaged. The auxiliary guide and the main guide can each have one or more rollers and/or slide rails or consist of one or more of these components.

In a particularly flexible manner, the at least one guide element can be designed so that it can be coupled to and decoupled from the gripper or shaft or upright of the shaft by means of a coupling device. In applications in which no additional guidance of the gripper outside the shaft is desired, the at least one guide element can be decoupled from the gripper in order to allow a structurally simpler construction of the gripper and thus of the transport vehicle. In this case, the driving dynamics of the transport vehicle are not impaired, even when the gripper is fully raised. Furthermore, depending on the application and the resulting requirement, a shorter or longer guide element can be coupled to the gripper. In this case, longer guide elements are usually required when containers with greatly differing heights are used. The coupling device can, for example, have a screw mechanism with an internal thread and an external thread on the guide element or gripper, in order to enable the guide element to be screwed to the gripper.

To ensure particularly safe operation of the storage and removal system, the at least one guide element can have an adjustment device for adjusting the angular position of the guide element relative to a vertical and/or for adjusting the horizontal position of the guide element. Such an adjusting device can have a pivoting mechanism with a clamping device for the guide element with an adjusting screw. To set the horizontal position, the adjusting device can have a sliding device with a clamping device, with which the guide element can be moved and fixed in a horizontal plane relative to the gripper, in order to achieve the best possible adjustment to an interior area of the shaft, to a structural element of the shaft or the Allow bearing column or the final element. Furthermore, with regard to a particularly safe operation of the storage and removal system, the closing element can have a cover for the transport vehicle and/or the gripper arranged at the upper end of the transport vehicle or form an upper side of a housing for the transport vehicle and/or the gripper, with preferably the cover and/or the top form or forms the upper end of the transport vehicle and/or the gripper. This provides a secure closure and a secure enclosure for the transport vehicle in order to avoid unwanted interaction with other components of the storage and removal system or a risk of injury to operating personnel.

With regard to safe operation of the gripper, the closing element, the cover, the housing or the upper side can have at least one passage and/or at least one cutout that is continuous in the vertical direction for the at least one guide element. Through such a passage or through and along such a recess, the at least one guide element with the gripper can safely reach an upper position or its uppermost position relative to the transport vehicle. The at least one guide element can be slidably guided through the passage or the recess during its movement. The at least one guide element can pierce through the end element, the cover, the housing or the top or through the respective recess or through the respective passage in order to protrude beyond the end element, the cover, the housing or the top. The number of passages or recesses can correspond to the number of guide elements. Such a recess can also be realized on one or more sides of the closing element, the cover, the housing or the top along a part of the length of the side or, for the sake of simplicity, along the entire length of the side.

So that the at least one guide element can be reliably pierced, pierced or pasted through or into a passage or into a recess as just described, all components of the transport vehicle or of a boom of the transport vehicle that has the gripper can be arranged in such a way that the at least one guide element can move freely in or through a passage or in or through a recess. As a result of this piercing, piercing or piercing past, the transport vehicle remains low, as a result of which the center of gravity remains low, so that the handling of the transport vehicle remains or is favorable.

With regard to a particularly smooth and safe movement of the at least one guide element through such a passage or through such a recess, the passage and/or the recess can have an insertion aid for the at least one guide element, for example a funnel or a slope. This enables the at least one guide element to be moved safely through such a passage or through such a recess even if the position of the guide element and passage or recess is not exactly aligned. The insertion aid can be realized in the area of an inner wall or wall of the passage or recess, wherein the inner wall or wall can be bevelled conically so that it opens downwards.

With regard to a particularly safe operation of the storage and removal system, a guide or casing for the at least one guide element can be assigned to the gripper, the closing element, the cover, the housing or the upper side. In this way it can be avoided that the at least one guide element in an upper or in the uppermost position of the gripper protrudes unprotected from the gripper, the closing element, the cover, the housing or the upper side, more or less freely, upwards. As a result, the guide element can be protected from damage or dirt from the outside, the guide element does not pose a risk of injury for operating personnel and the at least one guide element can be supported when traveling over the lattice structure, so that no disruptive vibrations are generated by the at least one guide element. Such a guide or cladding can be adapted to the dimensions of the at least one guide element—such as a shell—in terms of its shape, width, length, height and/or diameter. With regard to a particularly reliable guidance of the gripper, a plurality of guide elements can each be arranged in corner areas of the gripper. As a result, an undesired horizontal or pendulum movement of a gripper outside the shaft or the storage column is largely avoided.

In a particularly flexible and convenient manner, the at least one guide element can be designed so that it can be extended and retracted telescopically. When not in use, the at least one guide element can be retracted in order to avoid disrupting operation and can be flexibly extended if necessary. In this case, the at least one guide element is also arranged in a particularly protected manner in the retracted state, which increases the safety of the operation of the storage and removal system.

To ensure safe extension and retraction, a drive for moving the at least one guide element can be arranged at the lower end of the shaft or on at least one upright of the shaft, wherein the drive can have an electric motor or servomotor, for example. As an alternative to such a motor drive, a manual drive can also be implemented.

In order to adapt to different container heights, the movement of the at least one guide element—preferably continuously—can be carried out to different extents downwards. In this case, the at least one guide element can be moved only as far as is necessary, depending on the height of the container, in order to safely deposit a container downwards or pick it up from below. Higher containers do not have to be extended as far as lower containers.

Advantages and aspects of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained below:

Due to the fact that the at least one guide element protrudes beyond an upper closing element or an upper end of the transport vehicle, the transport vehicle does not have to be higher in its basic form, which is namics and tipping safety of the transport vehicle is advantageous. A main guide may typically have rollers between the gripper and a post of the well or pillar or well or pillar. The at least one guide element or an auxiliary guide, which is not required that often, can form an extension and additionally have rollers and/or sliding strips made of plastic, for example.

The threading in and out of the gripper in and out of the shaft or the storage column can be implemented in a simplified and safe manner via inlet slopes and/or outlet slopes arranged on the shaft or the storage column and/or on the gripper. As an alternative or in addition to this, the speed of movement of the gripper when threading the gripper in and out can be reduced in order to enable reliable threading in and out of the gripper.

Alternatively or in addition to these features, a guide pin can be arranged on the shaft or the storage column or on a post of the shaft or the storage column or on the at least one guide element and connected to a gripper or on the shaft or the storage column or on a post of the Engage shaft or the storage column or guide rail arranged on a transport vehicle.

If a transport vehicle transports a container in a raised state on the lattice structure, the container is stabilized with the help of a guide element of the gripper guided on the closing element, so that an unfavorable pendulum movement or swinging movement of the gripper with the container hanging on it can be largely avoided during transport. A contact between the gripper and the closing element, for example a transport vehicle boom, is established via the guide element. Advantageously, this allows a low container to be lifted just above the lattice structure to ensure ease of transport. Lifting further up in the transport vehicle or on the boom is not necessary, since the container is already stabilized in the lower position by means of the guide element in such a way that vibration-free transport on the gripper is possible. As a result, he can The lifting distance for a container during operation can be reduced, which saves time when "digging out" and lifting and transporting many containers and thus improves the dynamics of the storage and removal system.

The at least one guide element can have the main guide and auxiliary guide described above, whereby the main guide can be realized by a known guide of the gripper for its movement in the shaft or in the storage column, so that in this case the at least one guide element consists of a known guide and additionally of an upwardly protruding part in the form of the auxiliary guide. In this case, the at least one guide element can be constructed in a modular manner in such a way that the auxiliary guide can be removed when only tall containers are used, for which the auxiliary guide is not needed. If lower containers or containers of different heights are also to be used, the auxiliary guide can be easily reassembled.

The main guide and/or auxiliary guide can be implemented and guide on two—preferably diagonally opposite—three or four uprights.

The auxiliary guide can be aligned as vertically as possible in order to hit containers below the shaft on, for example, a conveyor system or a driverless transport system - with little play - and to avoid problems when inserting them into the shaft or into the storage column above the shaft or the storage column .

Furthermore, the at least one guide element enables safe guidance on a fire protection wall integrated in the lattice structure.

In addition, in all of the exemplary embodiments, the at least one guide element can stabilize the gripper in the shaft or in the storage column against tipping in a way that is improved compared to the prior art. This effect occurs at all tank heights. The gripper is thus safely guided horizontally in the shaft or in the storage column and can engage with containers more reliably than is possible with systems according to the prior art. Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments of the storage and removal system according to the invention, a container does not have to have any structural changes, such as a recess, so that it can interact with the at least one guide element by means of the gripper. For improved guidance of the gripper or the container, the at least one guide element does not have to dip into a recess in a container, for example, as is required in systems according to the prior art. In the case of exemplary embodiments of the storage and removal system according to the invention, this results in an unrestricted free choice of container without special structural changes to a container.

The at least one guide element can be extended upwards for so long that it or the auxiliary guide reaches the top end element or a cantilever and can be supported there before the main guide leaves the shaft or the storage column or the post of a shaft or the storage column. The gripper is thus continuously guided when picking up a container on the transport vehicle. This is particularly advantageous if the gripper moves during an empty run without a container and would therefore be completely unguided without at least one such guide element. When driving with a high container, this is not a problem even in the prior art, since the container usually takes on the task of guiding the gripper due to its length.

It is not only in this exemplary embodiment that the at least one guide element can have a sliding strip for problem-free engagement with the closing element or the cantilever, since the contact surface or sliding surface on the closing element or cantilever is usually very short. As an alternative or in addition to this, an insertion aid or receiving aid for the at least one guide element, for example a funnel or an incline, can be implemented on the end element or cantilever with a view to starting the interaction between the guide element and the end element or cantilever without any problems.

There are now various possibilities for embodying and developing the teaching of the present invention in an advantageous manner. This is on the one hand on the subordinate claims and on the other hand to refer to the following explanation of preferred embodiments of the storage and removal system according to the invention and the station according to the invention with reference to the drawing. In connection with the explanation of the preferred exemplary embodiments based on the drawing, preferred configurations and developments of the teaching are also explained in general. Show in the drawing

1 shows schematic side views of operating situations in known to 4 storage and removal systems, with FIG. 3 also showing a plan view of a container arranged in a shaft,

5 in schematic side views two different exemplary embodiments and 6 games of a storage and removal system according to the invention according to variants a) and b) of the guide device,

7 in a schematic top view and in a schematic side view, enlarged and partially, another exemplary embodiment of a storage and removal system according to the invention according to variant a) of the guide device,

Fig. 8 in perspective side views, partially, another embodiment to 12 example according to variant a) in different operating situations and

13 shows a schematic side view of leading inclines, which can be additionally implemented in exemplary embodiments and also in known storage and removal systems.

1 shows a schematic side view of a basic arrangement of a known storage and removal system designed as a block storage system, a station 1 being shown in the area of uprights 2 of a lattice structure 3 . In the case of the storage and removal system, a plurality of containers 4 are usually stacked one on top of the other, as a result of which a storage column 5 is formed. The here shown th container 4 are of different heights. Goods to be conveyed are transported in the containers 4 . The lattice structure 3 has a multiplicity of rectangular or square lattice cells with bearing columns 5 . The station 1 has a shaft 6 serving as a free transfer shaft, it being possible for containers 4 to be moved in the shaft 6 or in the storage column 5 by means of a gripper 7 . A shaft 6 is usually delimited by four uprights 2 in the corners, with side surfaces also being able to be completely clad. The containers 4 can be placed, for example, on a conveyor (not shown here) or on a driverless transport system, or they can be received by an employee. In the opposite direction, the containers 4 can be transported again in storage columns 5, for which purpose one or more transport vehicles 8, which can be driven on the lattice structure 3 or on grid rails and are designed, for example, as grid robots, are used.

A conveyor arranged in the lower area of the chute 6 is used for the horizontal movement of containers 4, the containers 4 being able to be conveyed out of the chute 6 through an access opening. A container or gripper guide 9 is arranged on the side of the shaft 6 or is formed by the uprights 2 to guide the container 4 and the gripper 7 that can be moved in the shaft 6 and is fastened here to the transport vehicle 8 . With such a station 1, access to containers 4 and picking is possible.

2 shows a schematic side view on the left of a stack of containers 4, each of which has a different height. The right-hand area of FIG. 2 partially shows the storage and removal system from FIG. 1 with the station 1, with the gripper 7 being moved vertically downwards by the transport vehicle 8 in the Y-direction in order to move a container 4 on a driverless transport system, AGV, 10 to set down or to take over from an AGV 10. In this case, the gripper 7 is still guided within the uprights 2 . The uprights 2 each have a recess 11 in their lower area to hold containers 4 in Z or X

Remove direction from the shaft 6 or bring into the shaft 6 can.

FIG. 3 shows in the left area of FIG. 3 in a top view one in a shaft 6 guided by uprights 2 container 4. The uprights 2 have 6 groove-shaped elongated corner recesses 12 for guiding the container 4 in the shaft. No recesses 11 are realized in this height range of the shaft 6 . In the right area of FIG. 3, the arrangement of the storage and removal system with the station 1 from FIG. 2 is shown in a schematic side view, with a lower container 4 than in FIG Transfer of the container 4 from the container or gripper guide 9 must go down or unthread. In this situation and in particular shortly before the takeover or shortly after the handover of the container 4, the gripper 7 is not guided and is therefore susceptible to external influences such as draughts. When re-entering or threading into the container or gripper guide 9 , the gripper 7 can jam or jerk and even damage the container or gripper guide 9 in its lower area, as illustrated by the arrows 13 . Trouble-free operation is not guaranteed here.

In a schematic side view, FIG. 4 again shows the problem according to the storage and removal system from FIG . The situation here is even more problematic than in FIG. 3, since the gripper 7 has to be moved down significantly further out of its container or gripper guide 9 in order to set down or take over the low container 4 .

5 and 6 each show, in schematic side views, exemplary embodiments of variants a) and b) of the guide device according to the invention. The right half of FIG. 5 shows the station 1 with a gripper 7 extended downwards outside of the shaft 6. The gripper 7 is in the process of depositing a low container 4 onto an AGV or picking it up from it. Guide elements 14 protruding upwards from the gripper 7 interact with uprights 2 of the shaft 6 in a guiding manner, so that the gripper 7 is in a stably guided situation together with the container 4, even if the gripper 7 with the container 4 is outside of the shaft 6 and below the stayers 2 des Shaft 6 is located.

In the left half of FIG. 5, the gripper 7 with the container 4 has moved up to a height at which it can be moved with the transport vehicle 8 on the lattice structure 3 without rubbing on the lattice structure. In this state, the guide elements 14 have pierced through passages 16 in a closing element 15 of the transport vehicle 8 . The gripper 7 is mounted or suspended on the closing element 15 . By means of the interaction of the guide elements 14 and the passages 16, a stabilization and safe guidance of the gripper 7 with the container 4 is also possible when it is located above and thus outside the shaft 6.

It is significant here that the guide elements 14 that protrude upwards beyond the closing element 15 when the gripper 7 is in the upper position—compared to a conventional transport vehicle 8 with a gripper 7 without guide elements 14—result in only a very slight upward shift in the center of gravity of the transport vehicle 8 have. The driving dynamics of the transport vehicle 8 with the attached container 4 are not significantly impaired as a result. The advantage of the stabilized gripper 7 with the container 4 far outweighs this slight deterioration in terms of driving dynamics.

6 shows variant b) of the guide device with guide elements 14 that can be moved downwards from a lower end of the shaft 6 or the post 2 of the shaft 6. These guide elements 14 interact with the gripper 7 and/or the container 4 in a guiding manner. In the state shown here, they interact with both the gripper 7 and the container 4 . The guide elements 14 can be driven down by means of motors 17 if a container 4 is used which is so low that the gripper 7 can be used to place the container 4 onto an AGV 10 or to pick up the container 4 from an AGV 10 from the shaft 6 must go down. This situation is shown in FIG. 6, in which the gripper 7 is securely guided with the container 4 by means of the guide elements 14. FIG. The guide elements 14 can be moved downwards to different extents and steplessly in order to enable adaptation to different container heights. In both of the described embodiments play is a safe threading and unthreading of the gripper 7 from the shaft 6 allows.

7 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a storage and removal system according to the invention according to variant a) of the guide device in a schematic plan view and in a schematic side view, enlarged and partially. A guide element 14 is shown in each case, which is realized in the form of an L-shaped profile and has a main guide 18 and an auxiliary guide 19 . For the sake of clarity, the gripper 7 is not shown here. However, this is at the level of the main guide 18, which guides the gripper 7 in any position in which the gripper 7 is within the shaft 6. In the state shown here, the main guide 18 is not functional because the gripper 7 (not shown here) is located together with the main guide 18 below a height level of the lower end of the upright 2 and is therefore outside the shaft 6 . However, the auxiliary guide 19 guides the gripper 7 since it is in contact with the post 2 at its upper end. The guide element 14 optionally has one or more sliding strips 20 and/or one or more rollers 21 . That is, it is possible for the entire guide element 14 with its main guide 18 and its auxiliary guide 19 to have only one or more sliding strips 20 or only one or more rollers 21 . The implementation and number of slide rails 20 and rollers 21 can be selected individually.

8 to 12 show perspective side views, partially, of a further exemplary embodiment according to variant a) in different operating situations. The gripper 7 in Fig. 8 is in an uppermost position on the upper closing element 15 of the transport vehicle 8. The guide elements 14 are formed at four corners of the gripper 7 and are located in the area of an elongated lateral recess 22 of the closing element 15. As a result, the gripper 7 safely guided above the lattice structure 3 after leaving the shaft 6 or a storage column 5 . A conveyor system 23 for containers 4 is implemented below the shaft 6 . Instead of a conveyor system 23, a driverless transport system or another conveyor or transfer device can also be implemented here. In Fig. 9 the gripper 7 has been lowered into the chute 6, the guide elements 14 cooperating in a guiding manner with the inside of the chute 6 or uprights 2. Both the main guide 18 and the auxiliary guide 19 can lead here and stabilize the gripper 7 . The insertion into the shaft 6 from above is already simplified, since the guide elements 14 - as long as they still guide together with the closing element 15 in the recess 22 - help with the positioning and thus the insertion of the gripper 7 into the shaft 6. The auxiliary guide 19 guides the gripper 7 on the closing element 15 or robot arm until the main guide 18 has been threaded into the shaft 6 . The main guide 18 can primarily lead within the shaft 6 .

In FIG. 10, the gripper 7 is located outside the shaft 6 directly above the container 4. The auxiliary guide 19 guides here so that the gripper 7 is also guided safely and stably outside the shaft 6 in order to contact the container 4 precisely.

A situation is shown in FIG. 11 in which the gripper 7 is already back in the shaft 6 after it has picked up a container 4 from the conveyor system 23 . The four guide elements 14 reliably stabilize the gripper 7 with the container 4 within the shaft 6 .

In Fig. 12, the gripper 7 - now with the container 4 - is again in its uppermost position on the transport robot 8. When unloading from the shaft 6, the auxiliary guide 19 comes into contact with the recess 22, so that the gripper 7 comes into contact with the container 4 continues to be safely guided and stabilized after leaving the shaft 6 upwards. This stabilization is particularly important when the transport vehicle 8 is subsequently moved with the container 4 hanging from it, since this has a positive effect on the driving behavior of the transport vehicle 8 .

Due to the guiding effect of the auxiliary guide 19 on the gripper 7 and the container 4 shortly after it has been unloaded from the shaft 6 or a storage column 5, a container 4 only has to be lifted far enough out of the shaft 6 so that it cannot be lifted when the transport vehicle 8 moves on the grid structure 3 drags or comes into contact with it and thus a problem-free movement of the transport vehicle 8 with the container 4 is made possible without the gripper 7 and/or container 4 swinging. A complete lifting in the transport vehicle 8 is therefore often not necessary, which saves time. The center of gravity is also lower than when the container 4 is completely raised, which improves driving dynamics.

13 shows, in a schematic side view, an illustration of leading inclines 24, which can also be implemented in the above exemplary embodiments and also in known storage and removal systems. These inlet bevels or bevels 24 facilitate the threading of the gripper 7 into the shaft 6 and the exact setting down of a container 4 on an AGV 10, so that they each guide the movement of the gripper 7 and/or container 4.

With regard to further advantageous configurations of the storage and removal system according to the invention and the station according to the invention, to avoid repetition, reference is made to the general part of the description and to the appended claims.

Finally, it should be expressly pointed out that the exemplary embodiments described above only serve to explain the claimed teaching, but do not restrict it to the exemplary embodiments.

Reference List

station

stayers

lattice structure

container

bearing column

shaft

gripper

transport vehicle

Container or gripper guidance driverless transport system, FTS recess

corner recess

Arrow

guide element

final element

passage

engine

main tour

auxiliary guide

sliding strip

role

recess

conveyor technology

oblique

Claims

Expectations

A storage and retrieval system for containers (4), comprising: a lattice structure (3) having a plurality of lattice cells, each lattice cell defining a storage column (5) of a container storage structure arranged below the lattice structure (3), the storage columns ( 5) are set up to receive a vertical stack of containers (4), and wherein the lattice structure (3) defines longitudinal transport paths in a longitudinal direction and transverse transport paths in a transverse direction, and at least one transport vehicle (8 ) for containers (4), a container (4) being created by means of a gripper (7) assigned to the transport vehicle (8) or the lattice structure (3) along a shaft (6) of a station (1) assigned to the lattice structure (3). access to at least one container (4) and/or along a storage column (5) coming from a transport vehicle (8) essentially in the direction of a lower end of the shaft (6) or the storage column (5) or in the opposite direction in the direction of the transport vehicle (8 ) can be moved and wherein the gripper (7), the shaft (6) and/or the storage column (5) is assigned a guide device for a guided vertical movement of the gripper (7) outside of the shaft (6) or the storage column (5). is characterized in that a) the guide device has at least one guide element (14) protruding upwards from the gripper (7) for guiding interaction with an inner area or structural element of the shaft (6) or the storage column (5) and/or with an upper closing element (15) of the transport vehicle (8) and/or gripper (7) and that the at least one guide element (14) at least in the uppermost position of the gripper (7) over an upper end of the transport vehicle (8) or the closing element (15 ) protrudes upwards or is flush with the upper end or the closing element (15) and/or b) that the guide device extends at least one of a lower end of the shaft (6) or at least one upright (2) of the shaft (6). below mobile guide element (14) for guiding interaction with the gripper (7) and/or the container (4).

2. Storage and removal system according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one guide element (14) is elongate and/or flat, for example in the form of an elongate profile element, rod, polygonal tube, polygonal rod, mandrel, flat strip, flat sheet or flat steel .

3. Storage and removal system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one guide element (14) has at least one roller (21) and/or at least one sliding strip (20), for example made of plastic.

4. Storage and removal system according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one guide element (14) has a main guide (18) arranged at the level and/or in the region of the gripper (7) and/or one above the gripper (7) arranged auxiliary guide (19).

5. Storage and removal system according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the at least one guide element (14) can be coupled to and decoupled from the gripper (7) or shaft (6) or upright of the shaft (6) by means of a coupling device is.

6. Storage and removal system according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the at least one guide element (14) has an adjusting device for setting the angular position of the guide element (14) relative to a vertical and/or for setting the horizontal position of the guide element (14).

7. Storage and removal system according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the closing element (15) has a cover for the transport vehicle (8) and/or the gripper (7) arranged at the upper end of the transport vehicle (8) or forms an upper side of a housing for the transport vehicle (8) and/or the gripper (7), with preferably the cover and / or the top form or forms the upper end of the transport vehicle (8) and / or the gripper (7).

8. Storage and removal system according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the closing element (15), the cover, the housing or the upper side has at least one passage (16) and/or at least one recess (22 ) for the at least one guide element (14).

9. Storage and removal system according to claim 8, characterized in that the passage (16) and/or the recess (22) has an insertion aid for the at least one guide element (14), for example a funnel or a slope.

10. Storage and removal system according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the gripper (7), the closing element (15), the cover, the housing or the top has a guide or panel for the at least one guide element (14) assigned.

11. Storage and removal system according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a plurality of guide elements (14) are each arranged in corner regions of the gripper (7).

12. Storage and retrieval system according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the at least one guide element (14) is telescopically extendable and retractable.

13. Storage and retrieval system according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a drive for moving the at least one guide element is arranged at the lower end of the shaft (6) or on at least one upright of the shaft (6), with for example the drive can have an electric motor (17) or servomotor (17). 14 storage and removal system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the method of at least one guide element (14) can be carried out at different distances downwards. 15 station (1) for a storage and removal system according to any one of claims

1 to 14