WO2005077789A1 - An automated warehouse, and an autonomous vehicle for transferring load units for said automated warehouse - Google Patents

An automated warehouse, and an autonomous vehicle for transferring load units for said automated warehouse Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2005077789A1
WO2005077789A1 PCT/IB2005/000076 IB2005000076W WO2005077789A1 WO 2005077789 A1 WO2005077789 A1 WO 2005077789A1 IB 2005000076 W IB2005000076 W IB 2005000076W WO 2005077789 A1 WO2005077789 A1 WO 2005077789A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
aisles
vehicle
warehouse
load units
accumulation
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2005/000076
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Graziano Bianco
Roberto Bianco
Original Assignee
Icam S.R.L.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Icam S.R.L. filed Critical Icam S.R.L.
Publication of WO2005077789A1 publication Critical patent/WO2005077789A1/en

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B65G1/0492—Storage devices mechanical with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B65G1/06—Storage devices mechanical with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level
    • B65G1/065—Storage devices mechanical with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level with self propelled cars

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an automated warehouse provided with a plurality of storage levels and designed for so-called *high-density" ' storage.
  • the European patent application EP1086910A1 describes an automated warehouse containing a plurality of load units designed to be transferred according to a longitudinal axis x, a transverse axis y and a vertical axis z perpendicular to one another.
  • Said warehouse comprises a plurality of storage levels or surfaces set on top of one another along the axis z and each divided into a plurality of accumulation aisles, in which the load units are stored along rows parallel to the axis y, and into a plurality of access or service aisles, which are parallel to the axis x and are in direct communication with the entrances and/or the exits of the accumulation aisles.
  • the warehouse further comprises, for each storage level, at least one vehicle comprising a trolley and a satellite carried by the trolley itself.
  • the satellite is controlled so as to be able to move in the accumulation aisles and to deposit and pick up the load units
  • the trolley is controlled so as to be able to move in the access aisles, comprises a device with forks for picking up and depositing the load units without the intervention of the satellite, and is configured so as to receive the load units transferred by the satellite itself or by the fork-lift device.
  • the warehouse then comprises at least one elevator for displacing the trolleys from one storage level to the other and a computerized central control and driving unit for controlling advance of the trolleys in the access aisles and advance of the respective satellites in the accumulation aisles.
  • the known warehouses just described comprise relatively complex vehicles each made up of a trolley and a corresponding satellite depending upon the trolley itself. Furthermore, the trolleys follow paths that are relatively long and far from flexible, in so far as the possible alternatives for reaching the destinations are relatively few in number.
  • the maximum index of rotation of the load units in the warehouse i.e., the number of load units picked up and deposited per unit time
  • the maximum index of rotation of the load units in the warehouse is relatively low in so far as the maximum number of vehicles provided on each storage level is low and is determined by the requirement of preventing traffic jams on the level itself.
  • the purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated warehouse which will enable the problems set forth above to be solved in a simple and economically advantageous way.
  • an automated warehouse is provided as defined in Claim 1.
  • an autonomous vehicle for transferring load units is moreover provided as defined by Claim 8 .
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic axonometric view of a preferred embodiment of the automated warehouse according to the present invention
  • Figure la is a schematic plan view of a generic storage level of the warehouse of Figure 1;
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic view along a vertical plane of the warehouse of Figure 1;
  • FIGS. 3a and 3b are schematic side elevations of an autonomous vehicle for transferring load units in an access aisle and, respectively, in an accumulation aisle of the warehouse of Figure 1;
  • - Figure 3c is similar to Figures 3a and 3b and illustrates the autonomous transferring vehicle set in the accumulation aisle in a different configuration;
  • - Figures 4a and 4b are similar to Figures 3a and 3b, respectively, and illustrate at an enlarged scale the autonomous vehicle for transferring load units without any load units;
  • - Figure 4c is a plan view of the vehicle of Figures 4a and 4b, with parts removed for reasons of clarity.
  • the reference number 100 designates an automated compact warehouse for storage of load units 10, for example pallets.
  • the warehouse 100 envisages a basically parallelepipedal structure 20 defined by a longitudinal axis x, a transverse axis y and a vertical axis z orthogonal to one another, and comprises a plurality of storage levels 21, 22, 23 set on top of one another along the axis z and each comprising a plurality of access aisles 24 parallel to the axis x and without any load units 10 stored therein, and a plurality of accumulation aisles 25 set parallel to the axis y, having entrances/exits giving out into the access aisles 24 and housing the load units 10 stored in a row.
  • Each storage level 21, 22, 23 comprises at least one autonomous vehicle 200, or shuttle, which picks up, transfers and deposits the load units 10 automatically under the direction and the control of a central control and driving unit (not illustrated) .
  • Said central unit comprises, in particular, at least one computer equipped with a software for handling the displacements of the vehicles 200 and with at least one control board preferably located at the base of the warehouse 100.
  • Each aisle 24 houses a corresponding pair of longitudinal rails or guides (not illustrated)
  • each aisle 25 houses a corresponding pair of transverse rails or guides (not illustrated) , which are orthogonal to, and intersect, the longitudinal rails.
  • one of said elevator systems 300 co-operates, on its right and on its left, with two buffers 301 and 302 for temporary storage, in which the load units 10 are picked up and deposited according to a protocol for handling loading and unloading in the warehouse 100.
  • the vehicle 200 is a unitary device, i.e., it is not made up of a trolley and a satellite that can be separated from one another, but is a single means of transport and is designed to perform on the storage level, under the control of the central unit, displacements parallel to the axes x and y according to any zig-zag path that is optimal in terms of time and that can involve both the aisles 24 and the aisles 25.
  • the vehicle 200 when the vehicle 200 is empty, it can assume a first configuration in which it manages to advance in an aisle 25 even when the latter is occupied by the load units 10 that have previously been deposited therein, thanks to a clearance 30 for manoeuvring in the vertical direction between the surface 201 of top delimitation of the vehicle 200 and the top horizontal surface 202 of the side supports 27 on which the load units 10 stored in a row rest ( Figure 3c) .
  • the vehicle 200 can hence travel also along the aisles 25 from one end to the other in order to reach a given destination when it is empty.
  • the central unit has to determine the optimal path for picking up a load unit 10
  • all the aisles 25 are taken into account as if they were common service aisles that can be travelled along.
  • the vehicle 200 that transports said load unit 10 can follow from one end to the other the aisles 25 which are completely empty.
  • the completely empty aisles 25 are taken into account as if they were common service aisles that can be travelled along.
  • the vehicle 200 assumes a second configuration for transporting the load units 10 along the aisles 25.
  • the load unit 10 is supported by the surface 201 and is raised, with respect to the top horizontal surface 202 of the two side supports 27, by a clearance 28 sufficient to enable the introduction or extraction of the load unit 10 in the empty stretches of the aisles 25, without the load unit 10 transported interfering with the side supports 27.
  • the vehicle 200 comprises a body 210, which carries a system of wheels 40 so that it can run parallel to the axis y and a system of wheels 50 so that it can run parallel to the axis x, is defined at the top by the surface 201 and is mobile with respect to the system of wheels 40 for raising and lowering the surface 201 along a vertical axis 203 that extends at the centre of the vehicle 200.
  • the vehicle 200 runs by means of the system of wheels 40, whilst the system of wheels 50 is retracted.
  • Depositing of the load unit 10 on the side supports 27, i.e., the transition from the second configuration ( Figure 3b) to the first configuration ( Figure 3c) is obtained by lowering the body 210, and hence the surface 201, by a vertical travel equal to the sum of the clearances 30 and 28 with respect to the system of wheels 40.
  • the surface 201 is raised until the clearance 28 is obtained, after the vehicle 200 has positioned itself underneath the load unit 10 to be picked up.
  • the system of wheels 50 is mobile together with the body 210, so that the vertical travel of the surface 201 between the second configuration and the first configuration is also equal to the difference between the distance 31 (Figure 3b) and the distance 32 (Figure 3c) of the wheels 50 from a fixed horizontal running surface 204 defined by the aforesaid transverse rails ( Figure 4b) .
  • Figure 3a illustrates the vehicle 200 set in an aisle 24 in a third configuration, in which the system of wheels 40 is retracted, whilst the system of wheels 50 is in contact with a fixed horizontal running surface 205 defined by the longitudinal rails ( Figure 4a) .
  • Transition to the third configuration is controlled only when the vehicle 200 is located in a cross-over between the transverse rails and longitudinal rails, and is performed by lowering the body 201 beyond the first configuration, until the wheels 50 are brought into contact with the surface 205, and until the wheels 40 are then lifted with respect to the surface 204. Instead, transition from the third configuration to the second one or else to the first one is performed, at a cross-over, by raising the wheels 50 and resting the wheels 40 on the rails.
  • Figure 4c illustrates a mechanism 400, which is housed in the body 210 and actuates selectively the two systems of wheels 40 and 50, changing the direction of driving of the vehicle 200 between the one parallel to the axis x and the one parallel to the axis y.
  • the mechanism 400 comprises a first electric motor 410, which is provided with two clutches 411 and 412 set coaxial to one another and actuates a shaft 420 in the two directions by engaging the clutch 411, or else a shaft 413 by engaging the clutch 412, according to the needs.
  • the shaft 420 carries at its ends two of the wheels 50 (which are hence driving wheels, whereas the other two are driven wheels) and receives the motion of rotation from the clutch 411 by means of a chain drive comprising two gears 421, 445 on which a chain 440 is wound.
  • the shaft 413 instead, defines the output shaft of the clutch 412 and transmits the motion, by means of a bevel-gear transmission 414, 431, to a shaft 430, which is perpendicular to the shaft 420 and actuates two of the wheels 40 (which are driving wheels, whereas the other two are driven wheels) by means of respective chain transmissions, each comprising a corresponding pair of gears 432, 433 on which a corresponding chain 434 is wound.
  • the mechanism 400 comprises a second electric motor 450 for actuating, by means of a shaft 451, two lever mechanisms 460 (not described in detail) , which are connected to the ends of the shaft 451 and bring about the relative vertical displacement between the body 210 and a supporting frame of the wheels 40 (in a similar way, it is possible to obtain a vertical displacement of the system of wheels 50) .
  • the reference number 250 represents rollers for spacing and centring the vehicle 200 with respect to the side supports 27.
  • the warehouse 1 comprises, for each storage level, at least two connection aisles 26, which are parallel to the aisles 25, are without load units 10, set the aisles 24 in communication with one another, and are also provided with rails that the vehicles 200 can travel along.
  • At least one between the aisles 24 (for example the one • contiguous to the elevator systems 300) and the aisles 26 houses two pairs of rails, instead of just one pair, so as to enable simultaneous running of two vehicles 200 in parallel.
  • the vehicle 200 further comprises a local control and actuation unit (not illustrated) , which is housed in the body 210 underneath the surface 201, communicates with the central unit, preferably transmitting and receiving wireless signals, and actuates the mechanism 400 under the control of the central unit itself.
  • a local control and actuation unit (not illustrated) , which is housed in the body 210 underneath the surface 201, communicates with the central unit, preferably transmitting and receiving wireless signals, and actuates the mechanism 400 under the control of the central unit itself.
  • electrical accumulators (not illustrated) are provided, which are also housed in the body 210 underneath the surface 201.
  • a monitoring system is provided for verifying the charge of the accumulators, which is communicated to the central unit. When the accumulators are run down, they are sent on to a station (not illustrated) , where they are recharged.
  • the accumulators on board the vehicles 200 supply electric power during advance of the vehicles in the aisles 25, and are recharged during advance of the vehicles in the aisles 24, 26, thus performing the function of emergency power supply, and can hence be sized so that they present contained overall dimensions.
  • arranged along the electrified lines are socket points for supplying radio repeaters for transmission of . the aforesaid signals.
  • the vehicle 200 is an autonomous means of transport, provided with loading and unloading capabilities, able, when it is empty, on account of its size and shape, to travel along the aisles 25 even when they are occupied by the load units 10, and free to follow any path without having to return to a main trolley of larger dimensions or to a base point to which it is connected.
  • the vehicle 200 in its first configuration has a total height smaller than the distance between the surfaces 204 and 202, so as to be able to travel along any aisle 25 when it is empty, and at the same time it is able to travel in the four directions (forwards, backwards, towards the right and towards the left) thanks to the systems of wheels 40 and 50 that can be selectively activated.
  • the electrical supply by means of accumulators in combination with the electrified lines arranged only in some aisles makes it possible for the vehicles 200 to be compact, prevents stoppages for recharging of the accumulators and, consequently, oversizing of the global number of vehicles 200 circulating in the warehouse 100. Furthermore, it is possible to provide new warehouses or to convert already existing warehouses, both ones with a low index of rotation and a high capacity and ones with a low capacity and a high index of rotation.
  • the vehicle 200 could be used not only for pallets but also for trays, containers, etc., and/or the surface 201 could be distinct from the body 210 and possibly defined by a central table that can be raised or by two horizontal rests set apart from one another and jointly mobile with respect to one another along the axis 203.
  • the rails could be absent or else could be replaced by other guiding systems, for example defined by the side supports 27, and/or the elevator could be defined by elevator vehicles or else by translator-elevator devices rather than by fixed elevator systems 300.

Abstract

An automated warehouse (100) has a plurality of storage levels set on top of one another and each divided into access aisles (24) and into accumulation aisles (25). The warehouse (100), in at least one of the storage levels, has at least one autonomous vehicle (200), which picks up, transfers and deposits load units (10) under the control of a central control and driving unit and is provided with two movement systems so as to be able to move in two mutually orthogonal directions in the accumulation aisles (25) and in the access aisles (24), respectively, and can be configured so as to be able to advance underneath the load units (10) stored in the accumulation aisles (25) when it is empty.

Description

AN AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE, AND AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FOR TRANSFERRING LOAD UNITS FOR SAID AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an automated warehouse provided with a plurality of storage levels and designed for so-called *high-density"' storage.
BACKGROUND ART The European patent application EP1086910A1 describes an automated warehouse containing a plurality of load units designed to be transferred according to a longitudinal axis x, a transverse axis y and a vertical axis z perpendicular to one another. Said warehouse comprises a plurality of storage levels or surfaces set on top of one another along the axis z and each divided into a plurality of accumulation aisles, in which the load units are stored along rows parallel to the axis y, and into a plurality of access or service aisles, which are parallel to the axis x and are in direct communication with the entrances and/or the exits of the accumulation aisles.
The warehouse further comprises, for each storage level, at least one vehicle comprising a trolley and a satellite carried by the trolley itself. The satellite is controlled so as to be able to move in the accumulation aisles and to deposit and pick up the load units, whilst the trolley is controlled so as to be able to move in the access aisles, comprises a device with forks for picking up and depositing the load units without the intervention of the satellite, and is configured so as to receive the load units transferred by the satellite itself or by the fork-lift device.
The warehouse then comprises at least one elevator for displacing the trolleys from one storage level to the other and a computerized central control and driving unit for controlling advance of the trolleys in the access aisles and advance of the respective satellites in the accumulation aisles.
The known warehouses just described, however, comprise relatively complex vehicles each made up of a trolley and a corresponding satellite depending upon the trolley itself. Furthermore, the trolleys follow paths that are relatively long and far from flexible, in so far as the possible alternatives for reaching the destinations are relatively few in number.
In addition, when one of the trolleys stops in an access aisle on account of malfunctioning, said aisle becomes unusable, and the trolley that is stationary must be circumvented by following alternative paths, which are extremely long or not even envisaged, with consequent increase of the times for transfer of the goods and possible total blocking of the storage level in which the breakdown has occurred.
Furthermore, in the known warehouses described above, the maximum index of rotation of the load units in the warehouse (i.e., the number of load units picked up and deposited per unit time) is relatively low in so far as the maximum number of vehicles provided on each storage level is low and is determined by the requirement of preventing traffic jams on the level itself.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated warehouse which will enable the problems set forth above to be solved in a simple and economically advantageous way.
According to the present invention an automated warehouse is provided as defined in Claim 1. According to the present invention an autonomous vehicle for transferring load units is moreover provided as defined by Claim 8 .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, there is now described a preferred embodiment, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached plate of drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a schematic axonometric view of a preferred embodiment of the automated warehouse according to the present invention;
- Figure la is a schematic plan view of a generic storage level of the warehouse of Figure 1;
- Figure 2 is a schematic view along a vertical plane of the warehouse of Figure 1;
- Figures 3a and 3b are schematic side elevations of an autonomous vehicle for transferring load units in an access aisle and, respectively, in an accumulation aisle of the warehouse of Figure 1; - Figure 3c is similar to Figures 3a and 3b and illustrates the autonomous transferring vehicle set in the accumulation aisle in a different configuration; - Figures 4a and 4b are similar to Figures 3a and 3b, respectively, and illustrate at an enlarged scale the autonomous vehicle for transferring load units without any load units; and - Figure 4c is a plan view of the vehicle of Figures 4a and 4b, with parts removed for reasons of clarity.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In Figures 1, la and 2, the reference number 100 designates an automated compact warehouse for storage of load units 10, for example pallets. The warehouse 100 envisages a basically parallelepipedal structure 20 defined by a longitudinal axis x, a transverse axis y and a vertical axis z orthogonal to one another, and comprises a plurality of storage levels 21, 22, 23 set on top of one another along the axis z and each comprising a plurality of access aisles 24 parallel to the axis x and without any load units 10 stored therein, and a plurality of accumulation aisles 25 set parallel to the axis y, having entrances/exits giving out into the access aisles 24 and housing the load units 10 stored in a row.
Each storage level 21, 22, 23 comprises at least one autonomous vehicle 200, or shuttle, which picks up, transfers and deposits the load units 10 automatically under the direction and the control of a central control and driving unit (not illustrated) . Said central unit comprises, in particular, at least one computer equipped with a software for handling the displacements of the vehicles 200 and with at least one control board preferably located at the base of the warehouse 100.
Each aisle 24 houses a corresponding pair of longitudinal rails or guides (not illustrated) , whilst each aisle 25 houses a corresponding pair of transverse rails or guides (not illustrated) , which are orthogonal to, and intersect, the longitudinal rails.
Facing one of the aisles 24 are two elevator systems 300, designed to transfer the load units 10 and the vehicles 200 between the various storage levels 21, 22, 23. With reference to Figure la, one of said elevator systems 300 co-operates, on its right and on its left, with two buffers 301 and 302 for temporary storage, in which the load units 10 are picked up and deposited according to a protocol for handling loading and unloading in the warehouse 100.
The vehicle 200 is a unitary device, i.e., it is not made up of a trolley and a satellite that can be separated from one another, but is a single means of transport and is designed to perform on the storage level, under the control of the central unit, displacements parallel to the axes x and y according to any zig-zag path that is optimal in terms of time and that can involve both the aisles 24 and the aisles 25.
In fact, when the vehicle 200 is empty, it can assume a first configuration in which it manages to advance in an aisle 25 even when the latter is occupied by the load units 10 that have previously been deposited therein, thanks to a clearance 30 for manoeuvring in the vertical direction between the surface 201 of top delimitation of the vehicle 200 and the top horizontal surface 202 of the side supports 27 on which the load units 10 stored in a row rest (Figure 3c) . The vehicle 200 can hence travel also along the aisles 25 from one end to the other in order to reach a given destination when it is empty. In particular, when the central unit has to determine the optimal path for picking up a load unit 10, all the aisles 25 are taken into account as if they were common service aisles that can be travelled along.
In the case where a load unit 10 is to be deposited, instead of being picked up, the vehicle 200 that transports said load unit 10 can follow from one end to the other the aisles 25 which are completely empty. In other words, when the central unit has to determine the optimal path for depositing the load units 10 transported by the vehicles 200, the completely empty aisles 25 are taken into account as if they were common service aisles that can be travelled along. In particular, with reference to Figure 3b, the vehicle 200 assumes a second configuration for transporting the load units 10 along the aisles 25. The load unit 10 is supported by the surface 201 and is raised, with respect to the top horizontal surface 202 of the two side supports 27, by a clearance 28 sufficient to enable the introduction or extraction of the load unit 10 in the empty stretches of the aisles 25, without the load unit 10 transported interfering with the side supports 27.
With reference to the attached figures, the vehicle 200 comprises a body 210, which carries a system of wheels 40 so that it can run parallel to the axis y and a system of wheels 50 so that it can run parallel to the axis x, is defined at the top by the surface 201 and is mobile with respect to the system of wheels 40 for raising and lowering the surface 201 along a vertical axis 203 that extends at the centre of the vehicle 200.
In the first and second configurations described above, the vehicle 200 runs by means of the system of wheels 40, whilst the system of wheels 50 is retracted.
Depositing of the load unit 10 on the side supports 27, i.e., the transition from the second configuration (Figure 3b) to the first configuration (Figure 3c) , is obtained by lowering the body 210, and hence the surface 201, by a vertical travel equal to the sum of the clearances 30 and 28 with respect to the system of wheels 40. Instead, for picking up a load unit 10 at output from the elevator systems 300, at the entrance to the warehouse 100 or in the aisles 25, the surface 201 is raised until the clearance 28 is obtained, after the vehicle 200 has positioned itself underneath the load unit 10 to be picked up.
In the particular example described, the system of wheels 50 is mobile together with the body 210, so that the vertical travel of the surface 201 between the second configuration and the first configuration is also equal to the difference between the distance 31 (Figure 3b) and the distance 32 (Figure 3c) of the wheels 50 from a fixed horizontal running surface 204 defined by the aforesaid transverse rails (Figure 4b) . Figure 3a illustrates the vehicle 200 set in an aisle 24 in a third configuration, in which the system of wheels 40 is retracted, whilst the system of wheels 50 is in contact with a fixed horizontal running surface 205 defined by the longitudinal rails (Figure 4a) . Transition to the third configuration is controlled only when the vehicle 200 is located in a cross-over between the transverse rails and longitudinal rails, and is performed by lowering the body 201 beyond the first configuration, until the wheels 50 are brought into contact with the surface 205, and until the wheels 40 are then lifted with respect to the surface 204. Instead, transition from the third configuration to the second one or else to the first one is performed, at a cross-over, by raising the wheels 50 and resting the wheels 40 on the rails.
Figure 4c illustrates a mechanism 400, which is housed in the body 210 and actuates selectively the two systems of wheels 40 and 50, changing the direction of driving of the vehicle 200 between the one parallel to the axis x and the one parallel to the axis y.
The mechanism 400 comprises a first electric motor 410, which is provided with two clutches 411 and 412 set coaxial to one another and actuates a shaft 420 in the two directions by engaging the clutch 411, or else a shaft 413 by engaging the clutch 412, according to the needs. The shaft 420 carries at its ends two of the wheels 50 (which are hence driving wheels, whereas the other two are driven wheels) and receives the motion of rotation from the clutch 411 by means of a chain drive comprising two gears 421, 445 on which a chain 440 is wound. The shaft 413, instead, defines the output shaft of the clutch 412 and transmits the motion, by means of a bevel-gear transmission 414, 431, to a shaft 430, which is perpendicular to the shaft 420 and actuates two of the wheels 40 (which are driving wheels, whereas the other two are driven wheels) by means of respective chain transmissions, each comprising a corresponding pair of gears 432, 433 on which a corresponding chain 434 is wound.
The mechanism 400 comprises a second electric motor 450 for actuating, by means of a shaft 451, two lever mechanisms 460 (not described in detail) , which are connected to the ends of the shaft 451 and bring about the relative vertical displacement between the body 210 and a supporting frame of the wheels 40 (in a similar way, it is possible to obtain a vertical displacement of the system of wheels 50) .
In Figures 3 and 4, the reference number 250 represents rollers for spacing and centring the vehicle 200 with respect to the side supports 27.
Preferably, the warehouse 1 comprises, for each storage level, at least two connection aisles 26, which are parallel to the aisles 25, are without load units 10, set the aisles 24 in communication with one another, and are also provided with rails that the vehicles 200 can travel along.
Advantageously, at least one between the aisles 24 (for example the one • contiguous to the elevator systems 300) and the aisles 26 houses two pairs of rails, instead of just one pair, so as to enable simultaneous running of two vehicles 200 in parallel.
The vehicle 200 further comprises a local control and actuation unit (not illustrated) , which is housed in the body 210 underneath the surface 201, communicates with the central unit, preferably transmitting and receiving wireless signals, and actuates the mechanism 400 under the control of the central unit itself.
For electrical supply of said local unit and of the mechanism 400, electrical accumulators (not illustrated) are provided, which are also housed in the body 210 underneath the surface 201. A monitoring system is provided for verifying the charge of the accumulators, which is communicated to the central unit. When the accumulators are run down, they are sent on to a station (not illustrated) , where they are recharged.
According to a preferred embodiment, the aisles not provided with places for the load units 10, i.e., the set of the aisles 24 and 26, house electrified lines (not illustrated) set along their own rails, whilst the vehicles 200 are provided with friction systems- (not illustrated) for picking up the energy from said lines. In this way, the accumulators on board the vehicles 200 supply electric power during advance of the vehicles in the aisles 25, and are recharged during advance of the vehicles in the aisles 24, 26, thus performing the function of emergency power supply, and can hence be sized so that they present contained overall dimensions. At the same time, arranged along the electrified lines are socket points for supplying radio repeaters for transmission of . the aforesaid signals.
There is then provided a system for detection of the position of the vehicles 200 in the warehouse 100, and a system for recognition of the load units 10 and of the vehicles 200, for example of the magnetic-badge type.
From the foregoing description, it is evident how the vehicle 200 is an autonomous means of transport, provided with loading and unloading capabilities, able, when it is empty, on account of its size and shape, to travel along the aisles 25 even when they are occupied by the load units 10, and free to follow any path without having to return to a main trolley of larger dimensions or to a base point to which it is connected. In fact, the vehicle 200 in its first configuration has a total height smaller than the distance between the surfaces 204 and 202, so as to be able to travel along any aisle 25 when it is empty, and at the same time it is able to travel in the four directions (forwards, backwards, towards the right and towards the left) thanks to the systems of wheels 40 and 50 that can be selectively activated.
Since all the aisles 24, 25, 26 can be travelled along by the vehicle 200 (at least when this is empty) , the number of alternative paths for arriving at a given destination is very large, with a consequent increase in the flexibility of management and consequent reduction in the length of the paths as compared to known solutions which envisage main trolleys in the service aisles and satellites in the accumulation aisles. Furthermore, when one of the vehicles 200 stops on account of malfunctioning, it is relatively easy for the central unit to establish an alternative path for the other vehicles 200 for them to get round the stationary vehicle 200, without any risks of traffic jams in the storage level involved in the breakdown.
Again thanks to the large number of alternative paths available, it is possible to increase the index of rotation of the load units 10 by increasing the total number of vehicles 200 operating in the warehouse or else by transferring the vehicles 200 between the various storage levels by means of the elevator systems 300, without any risks of traffic jams. Furthermore, in the case of intense traffic, the empty vehicles 200 can be diverted and temporarily parked in the aisles 25 so as to let other vehicles 200 pass in the aisles 24, 26.
The electrical supply by means of accumulators in combination with the electrified lines arranged only in some aisles makes it possible for the vehicles 200 to be compact, prevents stoppages for recharging of the accumulators and, consequently, oversizing of the global number of vehicles 200 circulating in the warehouse 100. Furthermore, it is possible to provide new warehouses or to convert already existing warehouses, both ones with a low index of rotation and a high capacity and ones with a low capacity and a high index of rotation.
Finally, it is clear that modifications and variations can be made to the warehouse 100 described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention, as defined in the annexed claims.
In particular, the vehicle 200 could be used not only for pallets but also for trays, containers, etc., and/or the surface 201 could be distinct from the body 210 and possibly defined by a central table that can be raised or by two horizontal rests set apart from one another and jointly mobile with respect to one another along the axis 203. Furthermore, the rails could be absent or else could be replaced by other guiding systems, for example defined by the side supports 27, and/or the elevator could be defined by elevator vehicles or else by translator-elevator devices rather than by fixed elevator systems 300.

Claims

1) An automated warehouse (100) having a substantially parallelepipedal structure (20) defined by a longitudinal axis (x) , a transverse axis (y) and a vertical axis (z) orthogonal to one another, said warehouse comprising: a) a plurality of storage levels (21, 22, 23) set on top of one another along said vertical axis (z) and each comprising at least one access aisle (24) parallel to said longitudinal axis (x) ; and a plurality of accumulation aisles (25) set parallel to said transverse axis (y) , having respective entrances/exits giving out into the access aisles (24) and designed to house a plurality of load units (10) stored in a row; b) at least one autonomous vehicle (200) for transferring said load units (10), which is mobile on one storage level; and c) driving means for controlling the automated displacements of said vehicle (200) ; said warehouse being characterized in that said vehicle (200) comprises first and second movement means (40, 50) that can be activated selectively for displacing the vehicle (200) along said longitudinal direction (x) and transverse direction (y) in said access aisles (24) and in said accumulation aisles (25) , respectively, and can be configured so as to have a total height such as to be able to pass also underneath the load units (10) stored in said accumulation aisles (25) when it is empty.
2) The warehouse according to Claim 1, characterized in that said vehicle (200) can be configured in such a way as to have a total height smaller than the distance in the vertical direction between the side supporting surfaces (202), on which the load units '(10) are stored in said accumulation aisles (25), and a running surface (204), on which the vehicle (200) runs.
3) The warehouse according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 •^ > characterized in that said vehicle (200) is delimited at the top by a resting surface (201) for a load unit (10), and comprises raising means (460) for translating said resting surface (201) along a central vertical axis (203) of the vehicle with respect to one of said first and second movement means (40, 50) .
4) The warehouse according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each storage level (21, 22, 23) comprises at least one aisle (26) for connection between said access aisles (24) ; said connection aisle being parallel to said accumulation aisles (25) , being without any places for the load units (10), and being such that it can be travelled along by said vehicle (200) .
5) The warehouse according to Claim 4, characterized in that at least one between said access and connection aisles (24, 26) houses two guides set parallel to one another for enabling simultaneous running in parallel of two said vehicles (200) .
6) The warehouse according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises power-supply lines housed in just part of the aisles (24, 26) , and in that said vehicle (200) comprises: a) a friction system for picking up the electric power from said supply lines during advance in said part of aisles (24, 26); and b) an electric-power accumulator, which is recharged when said friction system co-operates with said supply lines and supplies electric power during advance of the vehicles in the aisles (25) not provided with said supply lines.
7) The warehouse according to Claim 6, characterized in that said accumulation aisles (25) are not provided with said power-supply lines. 8) An autonomous vehicle (200) for transferring load units (10), particularly for an automated warehouse (100) provided according to any one of the preceding claims, the vehicle being delimited at the top by a resting surface (201) for a load unit (10) , and characterised in that it comprises, in combination to one another: a) first and second movement means (40, 50) that can be selectively activated for displacing the vehicle along one first direction (y) and, respectively, one second direction (x) orthogonal to one another; and b) raising means (460) for translating said resting surface (201) along a central vertical axis (203) of the vehicle with respect to one of said first and second movement means (40, 50) .
9) The vehicle according to Claim 8, characterized in that it comprises: a) a friction system for picking up the electric power from an external supply line during advance; and b) an electric-power accumulator designed to be recharged when said friction system co-operates with said external supply line and to supply electric power during advance of the vehicle along paths not provided with said external supply line.
PCT/IB2005/000076 2004-01-16 2005-01-14 An automated warehouse, and an autonomous vehicle for transferring load units for said automated warehouse WO2005077789A1 (en)

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IT000003A ITBA20040003A1 (en) 2004-01-16 2004-01-16 AUTOMATED COMPACT STORAGE WAREHOUSE

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