WO1989005596A1

WO1989005596A1 - Set of shelves

Info

Publication number: WO1989005596A1
Application number: PCT/FI1988/000202
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jouko Ilmoni
Original assignee: Jouko Ilmoni
Priority date: 1987-12-23
Filing date: 1988-12-22
Publication date: 1989-06-29
Also published as: EP0421998A1; AU2821289A

Abstract

The invention concerns a set of shelves composed of vertical upright columns (1) and of horizontal storage planes (2) supported by them, the upright columns and the storage planes comprising fixing members (3) for fixing the storage planes to the upright columns at various heights. As taught by the invention, the fixing members (3) consist of a locking mechanism (4) so that the storage plane (2) can with a truck or equivalent lifting means be detached from support by the upright columns (1), moved in the height direction from one location to another and locked in place.

Description

SET OF SHELVES

The present invention concerns a set of shelves as defined in the preamble to Claim 1 , mainly intended to be used as a storage shelf , e. g for load pallets .

At present, various kinds of shelves to be assembled on site are known in which storage planes can be supported at various heights on upright columns , said planes consisting either of separate beams which are fixed between the columns or of complete shelf planes which are mounted between the columns at suitable heights in each instance . The columns are advantageously provided with uniformly spaced holes or recesses in which said shelf planes can be fixed in a comparatively permanent manner with bolts or other equivalent fixing elements .

However, the state of art is embarrassed by the drawback that in large warehouses the goods to be stored are usually of different heights , whereby in a storage area of this kind , with permanent structures , the shelf space is frequently inefficiently utilized. There are many storage facilities , particularly among those meant for pallet loads , in which are entered large quantities of goods of uniform size, and if the spacing of the storage planes is excessive , a great part of the expensive storage space goes unused in that case.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned. The more specific aim of the invention is to provide a novel shelf construction which enables the storage planes of the sot of shelves , and thus the entire storage space, to be used in a maximally efficient manner, in accordance with the size of the goods in each case .

Regarding the characteristic features of the invention , reference is made to the Claims section . The set of shelves of the invention comprises vertical upright columns and on these, optionally, a suitable number of oblique or perpendicular ties to brace the columns in a comparatively rigid manner against each other. Furthermore, the set of shelves comprises horizontal storage planes supported by the upright columns , to the upright columns as well as the storage planes belonging fixing members for attaching these to each other at periodically recurring heights . As taught by the invention, the fixing elements consist of a locking mechanism , of locking mechanisms which can be unlocked and locked without tools or ancillary equipment so that a storage plane can with a truck or equivalent lifting means be detached from its position in which it is supported by the upright columns and moved vertically from one position to another and once again locked in place with reference to the upright columns at a new height. The storage plane is similarly freely movable, with a truck or equivalent , out from between the columns and in between the columns . In this way, the locking mechanism employed in the invention will secure the storage planes in giver, positions relative to the columns , yet without impeding their comparatively free transposition upward and forward /rearward horizontally.

Advantageously, the locking mechanisms comprise projecting supporting members on the storage planes , such as pins , tongues or equivalent, and the upright columns present ap-irtures or recesses mating them, advantageously at unii orm spacing and always at the same height on different upright columns so that the projecting supporting members can be introduced in these apertures for securing a storage plane at a given height . In an embodiment of the invention , the upright column carries a projecting supporting member, a plurality of such members , such as hooks or shoulders , with uniform spacing so that the various supporting members , such as pins or supporting claws , provided on the storage plane may rest against and be supported by said supporting members . Advantageously, the supporting members on the upright columns and /or on the storage planes are resilient horizontally, for instance consisting of a material with suitable elasticity or being suitably horizontally movable with the aid of a spring or of gravity, but vertically rigid and providing support to the storage plane in this latter direction .

In an embodiment of the invention the storage plane comprises mechanical members which have been connected to the supporting members in such manner that when the storage plane is lifted with the forks of a truck said mechanical members retract the supporting members , whereby the storage plane comes free from contact with the upright columns. It is also possible in this particular embodiment that the supporting members lock the storage plane to the uprights in every direction .

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the supporting member is a locking tongue , a bill turning on an axle , and at least four sυc h belong to one storage plane , o ne substantially on eac h corner of the storage plane, and also adjacent to each corner an upright column, in which case the supporting member comprises a spring or another equivalent force member so that when this supporting member is free from external forces it urges the supporting membei outward from the storage plane towards the upright column and towards the holes therein provided so that t he storage plane will be locked in place on the upright columns to be immovable downward . In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the storage plane includes locking indicators , i. e . , mechanical or electrical means , sensors , displays , etc. , with the aid of which the truck driver performing transposition of a storage plane is enabled to observe positively that all the supporting members on the storage plane are engaged and that they lock the storage plane securely to the apertures in the columns .

The term "storage plane" as used in the present application is understood in a wide sense so that it may refer to one coherent, rigid entity, but equally also for instance to two separate beams or equivalent girders which find support on different columns and which in combination constitute between the columns a storage plane .

The advantage of the invention over prior art is that in a shelf system according to the invention the distance between storage planes can be adjusted according to the storage volumes required in each instance so that a minimum of empty space is left between the storage planes . The shelf system of the invention is particularly well suited for automated storage facilities of the kind nowadays used, in which automat ically operating transport equipment can be programmed always during the night to arrange the storage planes to conform to a now distribution density, according to the space req uirements of the goods which wiil be taken into storage on the following day.

In the following the invention is described in detail, referring to the attached drawings, wherein: - Fig. 1 presents schematically, in top view , part of a s et of shelves according to the invention, Fig. 2 presents an uprig ht column suitable to be used in the invention,

Figs 3 and 4 present supporting members suited for use in the means of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 5 presents another upright column suitable to be used in the invention ,

Fig. 6 p presents schematically two alternative structures of the storage plane , Fig . 7 presents a locking mechanism alternative , Fig. 8 presents another locking mechanism alternative, and

Fig. 9 presents am alternative for the structure of the supporting member.

A set of shelves conforming to the invention , depicted in Fig. 1 , comprises a rigid storage plane 2 , around which four upright columns 1 are positioned , which may be suitably interconnected by oblique or straight braces . The storage plane consists of a frame

7 with beam-like lateral supports 14 , between these an intermediate support 15 and at the front margin of the frame a front support 16 , extending past the lateral supports to greater width than that at which the upright columns 1 have been installed , thus forming stops

9 to prevent the storage plane from being pushed too far in between the upright columns . On the end of the lateral supports 14 are furthermore provided bevels 17 , which make sure that the frame is easy to install between the columns , using a truck .

To the frame 7 , opposite each column 1 , is with a horizontal pivot turnably carried a supporting member 5 , a locking tongue , which with the aid of a force member 8, a spring, provided at the pivot point is pushed outv/ard from the lateral support 14. The side faces 10 of the locking tongue are round in shape and present bevelled surfaces both in front and in the rear, and its front face 11 is slanting and upwardly tapering, merely its lower edge 12 forming a sharp supporting bill . Thus , the frame carrying four locking tongues can be pushed in between four columns 1 as shown in Fig. 1 , whereat , to begin with , the bevelled portions 16 guide the frame in between the columns and thereafter the oblique portions of the locking tongues , as they hit the upright columns , push the locking tongues into the inner position , and hereby the frame 7 is enabled to move freely between the columns . When the frame has gone all the wav m , tnat is when the stops 9 have hit against the columns , the locking tongues can be brought into their outermost position by slightly lifting the frame to be in register with a suitable set of apertures . The frame can then be lowered, the supporting bills 12 of the tongues finding support on the lower margins of the respective apertures . Thereafter the frame can be freely lifted upward to desired height, or it may be freely pulled, at desired height, out from between the columns , the bevel and rounded shape of the supporting member 5 permitting such movements .

It is equally conceivable that, as shown in Fig. 4 , the supporting member 5 has a locking groove 13 in the upper part of the front face 11. This locking groove prevents inadvertent lifting of the frame, and in this case separate members are required in the means by which the supporting members 5 are retracted prior to any upward lifting of the frame. It is also conceivable that the force member 8 depicted in Fig. 3 , that is the spring, is replaced by properly shaping the supporting member 5 and arranging its centre of gravity to be so positioned that the supporting member will always be returned by gravity to the locked position when is not acted upon by any external force.

In Fig. 5 is presented another upright column structure which is well suited for use in the construction of the invention. The fixing members provided on this column consist of projections 18 punched outward from the plate-like shell of the column, having a level upper part with comparatively sharp edge and tapering uniformly downward and to the sides to join the surface of the column. Such projections are easy to produce and they do not appreciably impair the strength of the column .

In Fig. 6 are presented two different, advan tageous structural designs of the supporting members 5 for use e. g. in conjunction with upright columns as shown in Fig. 5. With the frame structure of the storage plane conforming substantially to that of the storage plane of Fig. 1 , the supporting members 5 have in the embodiment A been arranged to be members which are elongated in the depth direction of the storage plane and which moreover are rigidly interconnected so that they turn simultaneously between the locking and open positions . Said rigid connection has in this embodiment been accomplished with a common shaft 19 , which furthermore continues through the front support 15 to its outer face , there constituting a pointer 20 , by the position of which the current position of the supporting members can be seen in front of the storage plane .

The elongated shape of the supporting members affords the advantage that the positioning of the storage plane in relation to the columns 1 is not as critical as it is in the embodiment in which the supporting members are comparatively pointed and must properly enter the apertures provided on the columns .

In the other embodiment B of Fig. 6 , the supporting member consists of a member having a length substantially equal to that of the whole side of t he storage plane and pivoted in a suitable manner to be turnable in relation to the storage plane . In this embodiment , too , it is advantageous to employ a pointer in front of the front support to indicate the position of the supporting member . In one embodiment all supporting members of one storage plane are mechanically interconnected so that one single indicator may indicate the position of the supporting members and thus ensure that the storage plane is not left with deficient attachment to the columns . It is equally possible to use various electrical detectors and sensors for observing the position of the supporting members .

In Fig. 7 is depicted , in sectional view , a locking mechanism conforming to the invention . The upright column 1 has apertures 6 , and to the storage plane 2 has been pivoted a supporting member 5 in such manner that with the aid of a spring 8 , when in register with an aperture of the column, its lower edge is urged into the aperture, thus locking the storage plane 2 to be immovable in the downward direction . However, the supporting member does not preclude free upward moving of the storage plane, nor that in lateral direction , because the bevelled side and front faces of the supporting member, depicted for instance in Figs 1 , 3 and 4 , cause no locking in these directions .

In Figs 8 and 9 is presented another embodiment of the invention in which the spring 8 has been replaced by designing the supporting member 5 so that, when free of external forces , it moves by gravity action into the position which locks the storage plane 2 against downward movement . In this case an arm 22 extends from the pivot point 21 towards the inner area of the storage plane and, being rigidly attached to the supporting member 5 , this arm urges the supporting member outward from the storage plane, to be supported by the apertures or supporting projections provided on the upright column . In Fig. 9 is shown an advantageous structural design of the supporting member 5 and of the arm 22 rigidly belonging thereto, in which these parts have been produced by bending a sheet blank to form a U- shaped body, of which the legs form the arm 22 and the curved, and broadened, portion of its lower part forms the supporting member 5.

The invention has been described in the foregoing with the aid of certain advantageous embodiments thereof, while different structural designs of the invention are conceivable within the scope of the inventive idea delimited by the claims following below .

Claims

1. A set of shelves composed of vertical upright columns (1) and of horizontal storage planes (2) supported by them, the upright columns and the storage planes comprising fixing members (3) for fixing the storage planes to the upright columns at various heights, characterized in that the fixing members (3) consist of a locking mechanism (4) comprising projecting supporting members (5) corresponding to the columns (1), attached to the εtorage plane (2), and mating members (6,18) on the columns, said supporting members being arranged, when free of external forces, to be urged towards the mating members on the columns, and the mating members having mating surfaces to lock the storage plane to be immovable in the downward direction and freely movable upward relative to the columns.

2. Set of shelves according to claim 1, characterized in that the upright column (1) comprises projections (18) with sharp upper edge and bevelled lower edge and upon which the supporting members (5) are disposed to be carried.

3. Set of shelves according to claim 1, characterized in that the upright column (1) comprises apertures (6) or equivalent recesses for the projecting supporting members (5).

4. Set of shelves according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in thai the storage plane (2) consists of a rigid frame (7) to which the supporting member. (5) have been affixed and which comprises stops (9) for facilitating its installation in conjunction with the upright columns (1).

5. Set of shelves according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the εupporting member (5) is horizontally resilient.

6. Set of shelves according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that to the projecting supporting member (5) belongs a force member (8), such as a spring, for urging the supporting member into the outer position .

7. Set of shelves according to claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that the supporting member (5 ) has been arranged on its shaft to turn with the aid of gravity towards the upright column (1) .

8. Set of shelves according to any one of claims 1-7 , characterized in that the supporting member (5) comprises round-shaped, bevelled side faces (10) , an upward tapering oblique front surface (11 ) and a supporting bill (12) disposed to be carried on the lower edge of the aperture (6) .

9. Set of shelves according to any one of claims 1-8 , characterized in that the storage plane (2) comprises an indicator means to indicate the locking of the supporting members in the respective apertures .

10. Set of shelves according to any one of claims 1-9 , characterized in that the supporting member (5 ) compriseε a locking groove (13) to prevent inadvertent upward lifting of the storage plane, and members for retracting the supporting member when lifting the storage plane.

11 . Set of shelves according to any one of claims 8-10 , charac terized in that the supporting member (5) is constituted by a supporting member which is elongated in the depth direction of the storage plane (2) .

12. Set of shelves according to any one of claims 8-11 , chai-acterized in that at least two supporting members (5 ) are interconnected to a rigid entity, to move simultaneously.