WO2003086906A1

WO2003086906A1 - Circular storage device for storing and picking articles

Info

Publication number: WO2003086906A1
Application number: PCT/EP2002/013897
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wilfried Wiedmann
Original assignee: P+P Materialfluss-Systeme Gmbh
Priority date: 2002-04-18
Filing date: 2002-12-07
Publication date: 2003-10-23
Also published as: DE20206193U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a circular storage device for storing and picking articles (1), provided with a circular magazine (2) for storing the articles and with a gripper unit (3), which is assigned to the circular magazine while serving to grasp or remove or store the corresponding article, whereby said gripper unit comprises a gripping element (6) that can linearly move in the vertical direction and radial direction. According to the invention, the circular magazine (2) is constructed of rotating article storage discs (7), which are concentrically arranged one above the other, and each disc has a radial gap (8). Together, the radial gaps of the individual article discs form, in a vertical direction, a free space (F) for the vertical movement and radial movement of the gripping element (6), whereby a selected article storage disc (7) can be positioned in the free space by a rotating drive (9).

Description

ROUND MACHINE FOR STORING AND PICKING ARTICLES

The invention relates to a circular machine for storing and commissioning articles, with a round magazine for storing the articles, and with a gripper unit assigned to the round magazine for gripping or retrieving or storing the corresponding articles from or into the round magazine and, if appropriate, for the Transporting the article to or from an article receiving container and / or to or from a conveyor device, the gripper unit having a gripping member which is linearly movable in the vertical direction and in the radial direction.

A aforementioned, from DE-GBM G 94 09 606. 6 known circular machine has a hollow column-shaped fixed round magazine, the gripper unit with the gripping member being arranged in the central interior of the hollow columnar round magazine. The round magazine has ring-shaped fixed article storage levels arranged one above the other. With the help of the central rotatable and height-adjustable as well as radially extendable and retractable gripping member of the gripper unit, articles from a selected article storage level can be removed and stored from the radial inside. The disadvantage is that only the radially innermost article of a selected article storage level is manipulated, i. H. can be stored or outsourced or picked.

The invention has for its object to provide a circular machine of the type mentioned, which, with the help of simple measures with a compact structure, has a large storage capacity and nevertheless enables optimal access to each individual article of the circular machine. The object on which the invention is based is achieved by the features specified in claim 1.

The subject of the invention is advantageously further developed by the features of the dependent claims 2 to 13.

The essence of the invention is that the circular magazine has rotatable article bearing disks arranged concentrically one above the other, each with a radial gap, the radial gaps of the individual article bearing disks in vertical alignment with one another forming a free space for the vertical movement and the radial movement of the gripping member, and that a selected article bearing disk with one to be stored or a specific article to be outsourced can be placed in the free space by a rotary drive and then the specific article can be manipulated by the gripping member, d. H. can be stored or retrieved or picked.

The circular machine consists of centrally mounted, superimposed article bearing disks, which are rotatably mounted and are preferably either individually driven or positioned on a central (king) shaft with a central drive with coupling and disengaging of the individual article bearing disks.

The individual article storage disks are provided with nests or receptacles for articles or parts, primarily for grinding tools for the manufacture of spectacle lenses. The assignment of the parts to the storage location can be dynamically chaotic, since the articles or tools are equipped with a unique identification, primarily with a transponder. The superimposed article bearing disks each have a radial perforated sector or radial gap which, when positioned congruently, provides a vertical channel or free space for access with a removal / loading unit or gripper unit, some of which is located outside the round magazine or tower , The gripper unit has a cantilevered, radially inner gripping member with two controlled, positionable axes that move axially and radially to the round magazine or tower.

To access a specific article or a specific tool, the corresponding article bearing disc on which the article or tool is mounted is positioned under the imaginary line of the radial axis. All article bearing disks that are located above the article bearing disk that is being accessed are positioned so that the broken sectors or radial gaps are on a vertical line and release the channel for access. The article or the selected tool is gripped by height and radial adjustment of the gripping member of the gripper unit and placed, for example, in an article load carrier passing on a conveyor system.

The articles or tools are stored accordingly, with the tool identification being read before storage, and the tool being married to an empty storage space in the round magazine or tower. The storage takes place dynamically after optimal utilization of the article bearing washers. The return transport from production can either take place again in an article load carrier or individually on a suitable conveyor technology. Through the individual identification of the articles or tools, their use can frequency of use are documented and, in the event of wear or defects, targeted revision outsourcing.

A particular advantage of the invention is that if a round magazine has a large storage capacity, each individual article of a desired article storage disc can be manipulated or picked independently of the other articles. According to the prior art mentioned at the beginning, this is not possible. There, only the radially innermost article of a certain article storage level can be treated.

Further advantageous features of the invention result from the following description, in which preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawing; show it:

FIG. 1 schematically, in a vertical section, a circular machine with a round magazine and gripper unit and gripping element,

FIG. 2 shows the circular machine according to FIG. 1 schematically in a horizontal section at the height of the gripping member, with article bearing disks aligned above it to form an upper free space,

FIG. 3 shows an article bearing disc of a round magazine in a schematic top view,

FIG. 4 shows another article bearing disk with rotary drive in a schematic top view, FIG. 5 shows a schematic vertical view of an article which can be positively supported in an article storage disc with an integrated transponder, and

Figure 6 shows another circular machine with two round magazines and two conveyors in a schematic plan view.

According to the drawing, a circular machine for storing and commissioning articles 1 comprises at least one round magazine 2 for storing the articles.

The round magazine 2 is assigned a gripper unit 3 for gripping or retrieving and storing articles from or into the round magazine.

The stationary gripper unit 3 has a fixed vertical support 12 outside the outermost radius of the round magazine in close proximity and a horizontal support 13 which is guided at the end of the vertical support and is height-adjustable by a drive. On the horizontal support 13 there is a gripping member 6 which is displaceably guided with respect to the horizontal support and is adjustable along the horizontal support by a drive. The gripping member 6 is therefore linearly movable in the vertical direction and in the radial direction with respect to the round magazine.

The round magazine 2 has rotatable article bearing disks 7 arranged concentrically one above the other, each with a radial gap 8, the radial gaps of the individual article bearing disks in vertical alignment with one another forming a free space F for the vertical movement and the radial movement of the gripping member 6. The circular machine is designed in such a way that a selected article bearing disc 7 with a specific article 1 to be stored or to be swapped out can be placed in the free space F according to FIG. 2 by a rotary drive 9 according to FIG or is iss issionable.

The article bearing disks 7 are rotatably mounted on a central vertical shaft 10, a so-called vertical shaft.

Each article bearing disc 7 can have its own rotary drive.

According to FIG. 4, however, a central drive is provided for all article bearing disks 7, and the individual article bearing disks on the central drive are designed such that they can be engaged and disengaged.

The article bearing disks 7 can be provided with nests or receptacles (not shown) for the articles 1, and the articles 1 can be received in a form-fitting manner in the nests or receptacles of the article bearing disks 7. The nests can be positive interchangeable inserts for different articles 1. The receptacles can be indentations formed in one piece in the article bearing disks 7.

In particular, the articles 1 are each provided with an identification, preferably with a transponder 11, as is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 5. An identification device and a control device are provided for the transponders 11, and they can be used during operation the articles 1 are read by the identification device and are chaotically stored in the round magazine 2 in connection with the control device. The rotary drive or drives 9 of the article bearing disks 7 and the drive and actuating device of the gripping member 6 are connected to the identification device and the control device via a control line connection.

According to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 5, articles 1 are tools, in particular grinding tools in the manufacture of spectacle lenses.

A circular machine can have a single circular magazine 2 according to FIGS. 1 to 4, but may also be designed according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6 with two circular magazines 2 which are arranged close to one another. If there are more than two round magazines 2, these round magazines preferably lie close together in a row.

In particular, according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6, two conveying devices 5 are arranged parallel to one another, one conveying device 5 for the transport of the articles 1 to the round magazines 2 from an (not illustrated) article handling point and the other conveying device 5 for the transport of the articles from the round magazines to same or another article handling point are provided.

The conveyor devices 5 are guided past the top of the round magazines 2.

The above-mentioned circular machines are operated as follows. For access to a specific article 1 or to a specific tool, the corresponding article bearing disc 7, on which the article or the tool is mounted, is positioned under the imaginary line of the radial axis.

All article bearing disks 7, which are located above the article bearing disk in the access area, are positioned in such a way that the broken-through sectors or radial gaps 8 are on a vertical line and release the channel or free space F for access. The article 1 or the selected tool is gripped from above by height and radial adjustment of the gripping member 6 of the gripper unit 3 and placed, for example, in an article load carrier, in particular an article receiving container 4, which passes by on the conveyor technology. The article receptacle 4 together with its contents is transported to an article handling point, in particular a grinding machine for an eyeglass lens production. There the article 1 is removed by an operator and used for a grinding process.

The article or tool is stored accordingly, the article or tool identification being read here prior to storage, and the tool being married to an empty parking space in the round magazine or tower. The storage takes place dynamically after optimal utilization of the article bearing washers. The return transport from the spectacle lens production can either take place again in an article load carrier or article receptacle, tray or the like, or individually on a suitable conveyor technology or conveyor device 5. Through the individual identification of the articles or tools, their frequency of use can be documented and, in the event of wear or defects, targeted revision outsourcing. In the manipulation or access position of a selected article bearing disk 7, article bearing disks of the round magazine 2 located underneath may be in an earlier manipulation position. An empty parking space there of a previously removed article then preferably serves as a parking space for a new article to be stored, without the associated article storage disc having to be rotated again into the free space for this purpose.

Claims

claims

1) Round machine for storing and picking articles (1), with a round magazine (2) for storing the articles, and with a gripper unit (3) assigned to the round magazine for gripping or retrieving or storing the corresponding articles from or into the round magazine and possibly for the transport of the article to or from an article receiving container (4) and / or to or from a conveying device (5), the gripper unit having a gripping member (6) which is linearly movable in the vertical and radial directions, characterized in that the round magazine (2) has rotatable article bearing disks (7) arranged concentrically one above the other, each with a radial gap (8), the radial gaps of the individual article bearing disks in vertical alignment with one another leaving space (F) for the vertical movement and the radial movement of the gripping member (6) form, and that a selected article bearing disc (7) with a to be stored or a particular article (1) to be outsourced can be set in the free space by a rotary drive (9) and then the specific article can be manipulated by the gripping member.

2) Round machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the article bearing discs (7) are rotatably mounted on a central vertical shaft (10).

3) rotary machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each article bearing disc (7) has its own rotating has drive.

4) circular machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that all article bearing disks (7) have a central drive and the individual article bearing disks on the central drive are designed to be engaged and disengaged.

5) circular machine according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the article bearing discs (7) are provided with nests or receptacles for the articles.

6) circular machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the articles (1) are positively received in the nests or receptacles of the article bearing discs (7).

7) circular machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the nests are positive interchangeable inserts for different articles (1).

8) circular machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the receptacles are integrally formed in the article bearing discs (7) wells.

9) circular machine according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the article (1) each with an identification, preferably with a transponder (11), and an identification device and a Steuerein- direction are provided, and the articles (1) can be read by the identification device and can be chaotically stored in the round magazine (2) in connection with the control device, the rotary drive (s) (9) of the article bearing disks (7) and drive and actuating device of the gripping member ( 6) are connected to the identification device and the control device via a control line connection.

10) circular machine according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the articles (1) are tools, preferably grinding tools in the manufacture of spectacle lenses.

11) rotary machine according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the conveying device (5) is guided past the head of the circular magazine (2).

12) Round machine according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that two conveyor devices (5) are preferably arranged parallel to one another, one conveyor device for the transport of the articles (1) to the round magazine (2) from an article handling point and the other conveyor device are provided for the removal of the articles from the round magazine to the same or a different article handling point.

13) circular machine according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at least two round magazines (2) are provided, the are preferably arranged close together in a row.