FI20195985A1 - Automatic storage - Google Patents

Abstract

Automatic storage, comprising a closed storage space (2) with storage shelves (3) and shelf compartments (4) on the shelves, feeding and transfer points (5, 6) for goods brought into the warehouse or transferred out of the warehouse, a robot, which handles physical storage and transfer of goods in the warehouse, and a control logic, which controls the introduction and transfer of goods and the robot's function, wherein the input and possibly also the transfer points comprise several compartments (8) for goods to be handled, which compartments have electrically controllable lockable doors (9).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an automatic warehouse comprising a closed storage space with storage shelves and shelving compartments on the shelves, entry and delivery points for goods to and from the warehouse, a robot for physical storage and delivery of the goods, and control. control logic that controls the entry and exit of the goods and the operation of the robot.

Today, there are many parcel delivery systems for consumer use, in which each storage bin has its own hatch and in which the package placed in the bin is kept in this same bin until it is retrieved. Such a tray cannot be very wide, because the hatches must be in such a place that a person can handle the package through them. In this use, the problem has not yet been widely realized, as packet delivery by vending machines is only a growing field. However, in the distribution of packages, vending machines are rapidly taking over the field. As packet volumes increase, the problem here is system scalability. These systems are efficient up to a certain packet volume. As the packet volume increases, the system size must be increased at the same time. However, people have easy access to the compartments, so they cannot be so high that they cannot be reached. Thus, the only possibility is to expand the whole or to introduce several box machines.

In addition to the expandability problem, it is not profitable to use the system reserved for the use described above for long-term storage, as its capacity is considerably lower than in robotic automatic storage facilities. During peak times, there may also be space constraints in front of such a system as N customers move in front of the drawer.

7 In parcel distribution and warehousing, it is also common to use E 30 tray systems with shorter capacity for shorter or longer-term storage, where the goods are fed through a hatch for robotic automatic storage and picked up from 3 automatic warehouses depending on the use of the warehouse. place- 2 ta. The problem here is the slowness of the entry of goods at one door, as the supply of goods takes place one at a time, so that when the storage robot has taken the previous package into its storage box, the robot is released and can pick up the next package entered into the system. That is, when a packet is taken from the feed hatch to a specified tray, a new packet cannot be fed until the robot has completed the previous task.

This can take a long time to enter multiple packets due to waiting.

In industry, the last described automated warehouse is used for a variety of needs, e.g. storage and management of components, storage and lending of tools and storage and management of personal tools.

Often, packet input and retrieval involves processing multiple packets.

In this case, the speed of packet processing is an essential part of the efficiency of the warehouse.

A recurring problem, then, is that it takes too long to load packets into the system.

A typical input event is 10-30 packets at a time.

A typical automated warehouse can receive about two packets per minute, which is too long for parcel couriers, among other things.

Entering and / or retrieving several packages as quickly as possible is an important feature e.g. in the following cases: - Filling the factory-run automatic warehouse when the load arrives. - Retrieval of packages from the factory-used automated warehouse for order collection. - Retrieval of parts required for the work step from the factory-used automatic warehouse (eg in assembly). - Filling the parcel machine when the load arrives. - Retrieving parcels from the parcel machine during peak hours (numerous users at the same time) - Filling the vending machine after the employee has collected the food orders. o - Retrieving packages from a vending machine (often one order contains three or more packages). - SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to obviate the above-described problems associated with the automatic storage E 30.

This object is achieved by an automatic storage according to the invention, which is characterized in that the entry and possibly also the delivery points comprise a plurality of compartments for the goods to be handled, in which D has electrically operated lockable doors.

N The essence of the invention is to combine the advantages of an automatic warehouse and a traditional locker system and to replace one entry door with several lockable compartment doors, the locks of which can be controlled via the warehouse control system and allow users to pick up and leave packages directly on the automatic warehouse shelves. in a conventional tray system, for subsequent handling of the robot. The doors can be hinged doors, sliding doors, folding sliding doors, etc. The automated warehouse robot has controlled access to the same packages, so it can transport them at any suitable time to any suitable warehouse shelf. In addition, the robot typically transports packets from the tray to the delivery point. The delivery point can be a typical automatic storage door, or the same drawer slots can be used for delivery as when feeding packages.

The trays used to feed the packets can be of different sizes, and some of them can act as a traditional lockable tray without the robot further transferring the package to the warehouse. This is necessary for large packets that cannot be moved by the robot. The use of the tray is controlled in the same way as the others, but this tray is used for feeding, storing and retrieving packets.

When handling very small packages or in a shape such that they cannot be picked up by a robot, smaller trays of corresponding size or trays of different shapes, high, low or the like can be reserved for them.

The user interface for controlling the tray can be as separate as it is currently used, in the doors of the tray or in a mobile application. The user interface is adapted to communicate with the control logic of the automatic warehouse.

When a packet is fed into the tray via the user interface, the packet can be identified by a code, for example a bar code or an OR code, or its physical nature, such as size or weight. The above information of the package can be monitored when the door is closed and the input event is terminated. The information of the package can be re-examined when the package is retrieved and the delivery of the package can be prevented if it is found that the package is different from what it was when it was imported. S When a user leaves a package, the robot is prevented from entering the shelf. The user's access to the space reserved for the robot, in turn, is prevented, for example, by an electrically controlled intermediate curtain. The intermediate curtain can be locked in its closed position A 30 while the user is transacting through the open door of the compartment. In the desired case, the intermediate curtain can be locked in its open position when the robot deals in the tray through the opening on the side of the intermediate curtain. Locking can be controlled using the control logic of the automatic warehouse 3. The tray door and the intermediate curtain are not open at the same time in normal use. The space reserved for the robot means the space in which the robot can move from the N 35 compartment to another compartment or shelf. Only a robot can access the shelf. The structure of the shelf may otherwise correspond to the structure of the drawer, but the shelf has no user

le opening door.

User access to the wrong compartments is prevented by locking, for example by electric locks.

The drawer is controlled by the automatic warehouse logic, which also controls the robot and the entry and exit points.

The robot can take or direct the packets to a nearby interim storage and later take them elsewhere on the shelf, thus maximizing the packet entry speed.

Preferably, the rapid method of delivering a package for interim storage is one in which the package entering the tray is moved by the robot in the depth direction over the shelf, i.e. through the space reserved for the robot to the rear shelf.

In this case, the transfer distance is the shortest and, viewed from the direction of the user of the tray, the vertical and horizontal movement of the robot is not made, and is only a depth-of-motion transfer movement.

If, as described above, there is no free space in the rear, the robot transfers the packet to the nearest free shelf.

It may be that the same box is also used to feed several consecutive packets.

With the solution according to the invention, the packet entry event in the automatic warehouse is accelerated to a level as fast as in the vending machines.

However, when fewer feed doors are required than in the vending machines, the doors can be placed at the optimum working height and close to each other.

The automated warehouse's numerous supply / retrieval hatches, placed as close to each other as possible, enable a very cost-effective solution.

The user is able to feed the packages directly to the shelf, so that the feeding process is as fast as possible and the hardware is as simple as possible.

Weighing, measuring and describing packages are handled by using the packages at the point of use, when the device has no other functions. = List of Figures N The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an automatic storage according to the invention in perspective view; LO Fig. 2 shows the automatic storage according to Fig. 1 with the compartments opened; Figure 3 shows a vertical cross-section of the automatic warehouse according to Figures 1 and 2 NN; Fig. 4 shows a top view of the automatic warehouse according to the previous figures; and

Figures 5 and 6 show alternative compartment doors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figures 1 to 4, an automatic warehouse 1 according to the invention comprises a closed storage space 2 with storage shelves 3 and shelf compartments 4 in shelves 3, entry and delivery points 5, 6 for goods to be stored and goods to be delivered from there, a robot ( not shown, known for example from FI patent application 20185072), which handles the physical storage and delivery of goods in a warehouse, and control logic (not shown), which controls the import and delivery of goods and the operation of the robot, and the operator panel 7 for the warehouse user.

The warehouse user, for example a courier, can communicate with the automated warehouse control logic via the control panel 7, 71.

The automatic storage according to the invention is provided with a plurality of compartments 8 with lockable doors 9 for the goods to be handled, which are intended at least for the entry of the goods and possibly also for the delivery of the goods.

The compartments 8 can possibly also function in the storage of the goods, at least temporarily.

This automatic warehouse differs from the known automatic warehouse in that, in addition to one goods entry point 5 (which may also be used for the delivery of goods), those described trays 8 are provided. In this case, not even that “traditional” entry point is necessarily required in all applications according to the invention. 5. The trays 8 are positioned at such a height that they can be easily reached by the user.

Reference numeral 5 denotes here (currently) the point (e.g. a sliding door) through which the packets are retrieved and the trays 8 are for entering the packets.

These functions can be reversed or both point 5 and trays 8 can serve both purposes, as already shown above.

In addition, instead of the one control panel 7 described above, there may be several of them.

Also in connection with the compartments 8 (for example in the doors 9) there may be smaller N control panels 71 for each compartment 8.

Between the compartments 8 there can also be - non-openable intermediate strips, for example vertically, in which intermediate panels 2 control panels 71 can be mounted. The entry and delivery of packets can also be controlled by mobile applications or other user interfaces.

LO Figures 1 to 4 show the doors 9 of the compartments hinged at the edges 3, which turn sideways.

The hinge side can be either on the left D or on the right side of the door, or possibly at the top or bottom of the door.

N Figure 5 shows a door 9 sliding inside the compartment and Figure 6 a double door 9. The rear vertical surface of each compartment 8 can be closed, for example, by an intermediate curtain 81 operated by an electric actuator. The intermediate curtains 81 can be controlled so that when a user picks up or leaves a package the intermediate curtain 81 of the compartment 8 in question is closed.

When the user no longer uses the tray 8 (for example, when it is already full), the intermediate curtain 81 can be opened and the robot can start to take out or import packets.

The intermediate curtain 81 prevents and allows the robot to enter the tray 8 in the desired manner. There are no restrictions on the material of the intermediate curtain 81 as long as it prevents the user of the tray from entering the space 10 reserved for the robot (shown in Figure 3 by the robot support rail). The intermediate curtain 81 can move with guides on the vertical sides of the compartment 8, and a guide or lock is provided at the lower end of the intermediate curtain 81 so that the intermediate curtain 81 remains in place and cannot be moved to the side by hand.

The intermediate curtain 81 may be a solid or even lattice structure.

Another alternative to closing the rear wall of the compartment 8 could be a sliding door (not shown in the drawings) with which one compartment 8 can be closed at a time.

In this case, behind the row of drawers, there would be guides along the entire width of the shelf, to which one door the size of the opening of the drawer would be attached.

The position of the door would be controlled by a belt and an electric motor.

When the user wants access to a particular tray 8 to either pick up or leave the package, the back door is first driven to the tray 8 in question and then only the door 9 is opened. The robot would have access to all the other trays on the shelf at the same time.

The difference between these implementations and the technical implementation is that in the sliding door implementation it is not possible to block access from only one compartment 8 per shelf.

The desired feature would be that when the courier imports the packages, all the free tray doors could be opened immediately, allowing the courier to read the package code, put it in tray 8 and close the door.

The method would be as effective as possible.

This cannot be achieved with a sliding door implementation, but with a partition curtain this is possible.

On the other hand, with the sliding door implementation, the robot can empty the trays 8 as quickly as possible after inserting the package.

S The type of doors 9 is always selected according to the respective application ~ and the size or location of the tray 8.

All door types are suitable for all compartment applications according to the invention.

The same drawer wall can have different A 30 doors.

After the user has given permission to log on to the use of the compartments, the opening and closing of the doors can be carried out electronically or manually or in various combinations of these methods. 2 - The automatic storage shown in the drawings can also be connected to other storage spaces S operating with the same logic and managed by the same robot, or the robot cooperating with robots in other storage spaces.

In this way, storage capacity can be increased as needed.

In a typical parcel delivery operation, the goods insertion process would proceed as follows: The courier logs in to the automatic warehouse on the control panel 7 or the control panels 71 and feeds the parcels he has brought into the trays 8 through their lockable doors 9. The identification of the input can take place, for example, by a mobile phone application and / or a tag accompanying the packet, which contains, for example, information about the packet, sender, courier, weight, etc., for example by means of an OR code. This information, combined with, for example, the location of the open tray 8, the packet and the location of the packet can be identified by the automatic storage control logic. Thus, the automatic store knows for sure that the package “W123” is now in the tray “z34” when the door of the tray “z34” was open when the package code was entered. The courier may transact through a different control panel 7 than through the open door control panel 71, but the open locking of the door 9 is decisive location information. When the door 9 is open, its operating panel 71 may be obscured, as it is typically on the end face of the door 9. If it is a condition that the open locking of the door 9 is decisive, then only one door 9 of the compartment 8 would be allowed to be open at a time. If several doors 9 are open at the same time, for example when entering, then the control logic must be reliable so that the user does not make an error in the input, accidentally or intentionally. In the mobile phone application, the entry can be prepared even before being physically in the vicinity of the trays 8, whereby the entry can be done quickly on site.

During packet insertion, the robot starts transporting the packets to the actual shelf for storage or, depending on the insertion speed, to a nearby intermediate storage, as the actual free shelf space for longer storage can be found farther, for example from a height of 6 m. The robot empties the tray 8 as quickly as possible, while at the same time serving customers retrieving packages, for example. The robot can also be assisted or replaced by a conveyor belt, elevator, lift, etc. After the packages have moved to the actual storage shelf, = the recipient of the package receives a notification that his or her package can be picked up. When the recipient of a packet retrieves a packet, he identifies, for example by entering a code at the 30 output points, displays a barcode, QR code (i.e. optical, electronic, biological, etc. identification), whereupon the robot retrieves the packet from the shelf to the 0 output point from which the recipient receives his packet. . 3 When a package is brought into and out of the system, it can be 2 weighed in either situation to ensure that the package is correct and that the N 35 sitd has not been tampered with. Packet delivery can be interrupted if illogicalities are detected. The robot may be equipped with a scale and / or a camera to ensure the identification, import and delivery of the packages. These means of verification can be used, for example, to ensure that the registered retrieval applicant actually empties the tray 8, so that the control logic can then keep the tray 8 really empty. A corresponding check can be made after the courier has left the package inside. For tracking packets, memory space is reserved in the control logic in a manner suitable for the purpose.

The traditional exit point can be replaced by trays 8, in which case when retrieving packets, the robot would transport the packet to a free tray 8 instead of the exit point.

The tray idea can be further enhanced if the packages are pre-ordered in the tray before the actual pick-up operation. This could be done, for example, by a mobile phone application, by replying to a text message sent by the system or by other electronic identification. The packages would be brought into the tray for a specified time. This would allow the user to receive their package without delay. If the user did not retrieve the package within the deadline, the robot would return it to the shelf and notify the user.

In industry, downloading packets to a device would be performed using the same logic as above. When picking up packages, pre-ordering would be more efficient than in parcel distribution. Today, pre-ordering is handled by picking lists, in which case the robot transports the required packages in the list close to the access point. The drawer idea could be used to transport packets to a drawer from which the user can retrieve all the packets they need without waiting. The individual compartment 8 of the compartment can be thought of as a space, which is preferably a rectangular shape. In terms of space use, building these in parallel and on top of each other is efficient. It is justified to gain access to this space by opening only one surface at a time, for example by opening the door 9 or the intermediate curtain 81. These alternating surfaces for opening and closing D are preferably mutually opposed faces in the above-mentioned state. o The robot can handle packages with two telescopically forward and outward A 30 - protruding paws so that the paws protrude from the space reserved for the robot 10 E (Fig. 3) into tray 8. The paws can squeeze the package from the side surfaces between the paws so that the robot can grip the package after which the robot can pull the packet from the tray 3 to the space reserved for the robot 8. In the transfer movement, the package 2 is transferred from the bottom plane of the tray 8 to the bearing surface of the robot at substantially the same height position. That is, the robot can pull the package substantially in the same plane to its own bearing surface when the upper edge of the robot's bearing surface is substantially aligned with the upper edge of the bottom plane of the tray 8.

The robot can be temporarily attached to the bottom plane of the tray 8 for this transfer movement.

When the package is loaded by the robot into the tray 8, it is brought between the paws from the sides, squeezing the tray 8 to the bottom plane (i.e. the package is not pushed from behind). The compressive movement and compressive force between the paws of the robot is substantially transverse to the telescopic movement of the paws.

Once the packet is received on the robot's bearing surface, it is also placed in the space 10 reserved for the robot. In this space 10 reserved for the robot, the robot can move the packet laterally and / or vertically to the free shelf space indicated by the control logic.

The support rail 10 of the robot is preferably provided with a support for the robot by means of wires, and the robot is adapted to move vertically on the wires.

The robot is adapted to move horizontally in the direction of the support rail 10.

The telescopic movement of the robot from the tray 8 to the bearing surface of the robot (and vice versa) is arranged perpendicular to the said rectangular face on which the opening surface is fitted with an opening and closing intermediate curtain 81. The space 10 reserved for the robot is to move while standing in that state.

Leaving and retrieving packages from shelves can be implemented with various solutions.

The solution described above is effective because it is the safest to use and the risk of packet mixing is minimal.

The solution is safe to use and the risk of packet mixing is low.

The solution is able to effectively prevent almost all cases of abuse.

In addition, the user experience is similar to a tray machine that users are already used to.

The automatic warehouse and the robot therein are preferably adapted to handle packages without a pallet, tray, transport platform, lifting lug, lifting strap, etc. o The force between the robot's paws is sufficient to compress the package for the necessary movement along the flat surface below.

As a result, the package does not have to be equipped with the above-mentioned carriers or corresponding lifting means.

The underlying planar surface used from the tray 8 to the robot (and vice versa) and the transfer A30 therein can be made as a substantially continuous E surface when the package is transferred from the bottom plane of the tray 8 to the robot bearing surface. The system described above can be used flexibly in many 2 ways in the above cases to control a fast feed and / or pickup burst.

The idea of interim storage can also be extended so that when packets are retrieved, the packets are brought to this warehouse as expected to wait for a retrieval event.

The trays 8 and the associated automatic storage have been described as being preferably rectangular in shape so that the functions are clearly explained. The rectangular space and / or the automatic warehouse, for example when viewed from above, can also be made slightly curved or trapezoidal, for example by means of industrial design, whereby the automatic warehouse can be placed in the building as desired.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims. o

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Claims (5)

Claims An automatic warehouse comprising a closed storage space (2) with storage shelves (3) and shelving compartments (4) on the shelves, entry and delivery points (5, 6) for goods to be stored and goods to be delivered from there, a robot which handles the physical storage of the goods and control logic controlling the entry and exit of the goods and the operation of the robot, characterized in that the entry and possibly also the delivery points comprise several compartments (8) for the goods to be handled, with electrically controlled lockable doors (9). ). Automatic storage according to Claim 1, characterized in that the compartments (8) can also act as a package entry, storage and possibly also a delivery point, or in various combinations of all these functions. Automatic storage according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is also possible to communicate with other storage spaces which operate with the same logic and which are operated by the same robot or the robot cooperates with robots in other storage spaces. Automatic storage according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electrically controlled intermediate curtain (81) is arranged at the rear of the compartment (8), which prevents the user from entering the storage space behind the compartment (8) but allows the robot to enter the compartment (8). o Automatic storage according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the door (9) is selected from the group consisting of a door hinged at least at one edge, double doors and a sliding door. oo x a 3 O OF