WO2005110894A1

WO2005110894A1 - Shelf support comprising removable separators for the bottom of the shelf

Info

Publication number: WO2005110894A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/004953
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hartmut Lang
Original assignee: Lamost Patentverwertungs Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2004-05-14
Filing date: 2005-05-06
Publication date: 2005-11-24
Also published as: DE102004024478A1; DE102004024478B4; EP1744974A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a shelf support (8) for chaotically storing especially small packages, such as packages used in a pharmacy. Said support comprises shelf bottoms (32) that respectively represent plane bearing surfaces (34). Each shelf bottom (32) contains a plurality of parallel guiding grooves (35) in which slides (40) can optionally be inserted. Said slides (40) are used both to mechanically remove gases in which the medicament packages can be stored, and as driving elements (42) for pulling the medicament packages off the bottom of the shelf. In this way, the width of one such gas can be modified at any time, by inserting the slide (40) into other guiding grooves (35).

Description

Shelf storage with removable dividers ^' on the shelves In DE 101 40 958 a shelf storage for small packs is known. Such a shelf warehouse can be used in pharmacies, for example, in order to temporarily store the medical packs there prior to the sale.

The known shelf warehouse has two mutually opposing frames, between which a storage and retrieval unit can be moved. The arrangement corresponds to the arrangement known from high-bay warehouses.

Several flat shelves are arranged one above the other in each frame. All shelves have the same depth, but possibly a different distance from each other.

Guide rails are installed side by side on each shelf, permanently installed. Between neighboring leaders a track is defined along which the stored objects lie one behind the other.

In order to transport objects out of this aisle and bring them onto the storage and retrieval machine, slides run in the guide rails. These slides are provided with drivers, which come to rest bluntly on the object that is furthest away from the perspective of the storage and retrieval unit. These slides are operated from the storage and retrieval machine. For this purpose, the storage and retrieval unit also has a corresponding guide rail with a corresponding guide groove. With the help of a detachable drive device, the slider can be moved from the shelf in the direction of the storage and retrieval unit. Here, the slide pulls the objects one behind the other from the alley onto a conveyor belt of the storage and retrieval machine. The belt on the storage and retrieval machine runs at a higher speed than the linear movement of the slider, which means that the individual objects are separated from one another during the transition from the shelf to the conveyor belt.

As soon as the object to be delivered to the picking station has arrived on the storage and retrieval machine, the movement of the slide is stopped while the movement of the conveyor belt continues for a while. The slider with which the objects were transported out of the alley is set in motion in the opposite direction and pushed completely back onto the shelf. At the same time, a further slide, which is mounted on the storage and retrieval machine, causes the objects to be pushed back onto the shelf until the object closest to the storage and retrieval device no longer protrudes beyond the shelf. Practice has shown that the objects behave very dynamically when transported through the alley. For this reason, the width of the alley must not exceed the width of the object, measured in this dimension. Otherwise there is a risk that the object may become jammed between adjacent guide rails.

The rigid configuration of the guide rails considerably limits the flexibility of the storage.

Proceeding from this, it is the object of the invention to create a rack storage system that ensures greater flexibility.

This object is achieved with the shelf storage with the features of claim 1.

In the new rack warehouse, flat shelves are provided, in which several guide grooves are arranged in parallel next to each other. The guide grooves are embedded in the shelf. No part of the guide groove protrudes above the contact surface. This makes it possible to place an item to be stored anywhere on the shelf.

Slides, which have a separating member that protrudes upward above the contact surface, are seated in selected guide grooves. In this way, adjacent slides form the alley mentioned at the beginning, in which objects are stored. By moving the slider, the counterparts lying one behind the other in an alley are stands one after the other in the direction of the storage and retrieval machine. They are guided laterally between the movable slide and the respectively adjacent slide at rest. Any danger is excluded that the objects break out to the side or can cross. "

With the new rack warehouse, it is easily possible to dynamically change the width of the aisles. The width of the lanes can be changed simply by repositioning the existing slide in other guide grooves. This can be done at any time by hand or with the help of the storage and retrieval unit itself.

Since, depending on the equipment, more or fewer slides are required, it is advantageous if there is a depot at one point in the rack warehouse, in which slides that are not required can be temporarily stored.

The shelf warehouse contains a variety of shelves that are designed identically. The shelves lie horizontally, but can also be slightly inclined, for example, in the direction of the respective slide, which is provided with the driver for the objects, in order to produce a preferred direction.

The shelves are very easy to manufacture if they are sections from an extruded profile. This makes it possible to produce shelves with a very large number of grooves which are aligned parallel to one another.

Favorable space conditions arise when the Shelf forms a rectangular contact surface, the long edge of the shelf facing the storage and retrieval unit.

Pinching of the slide in the guide grooves is largely avoided if the groove chamber has a circular cross section.

The threading of the slide, which is pulled onto the storage and retrieval machine, back into the guide groove is simplified if the guide groove has a funnel-shaped extension at the end which is adjacent to the storage and retrieval machine.

Pinching of the slide in the guide groove can be largely avoided if the slide has only two guide bodies that run in the groove chamber. The two guide bodies are spaced apart from one another over the length of the slide.

The risk of pinching can be further reduced if the one guide body has the shape of a ball.

A good threading of the guide body that changes when moving the objects from the guide groove of the shelf into the guide groove of the storage and retrieval machine is achieved if this guide body has the shape of an ellipsoid of revolution. In the simplest case, the separating member is formed by a rod, which advantageously rests on the shelf or the slot edges of the guide groove.

The separator is connected to the guide bodies by means of pins connected .

A smooth front of the shelf is achieved if the slide does not protrude over the edge of the shelf at any point when the slide is inserted. This also avoids errors that arise because of malfunctions or for other reasons someone has to manipulate the shelves by hand. Incorrect control as a result of programming errors in the storage and retrieval machine cannot lead to catastrophic errors.

The slides are actuated by drives that are located on the storage and retrieval machine. As a result, the slides can be made purely passive, which significantly reduces the costs for the drive means. For this purpose, the slide is provided with a coupling means that is complementary to a coupling means that is located on the storage and retrieval unit. In the simplest case, the coupling means in the slide consists of a bore or a slot, the axis of the opening being aligned vertically.

The coupling means on the storage and retrieval unit comprises a pin, which is preferably part of a hook that opens downwards.

The hook can sit on an arm that is movable in the rack operating device in the direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of the guide groove in the shelf.

The storage and retrieval unit is guided in guide means which are set up to bring the storage and retrieval unit in front of each shelf and there in front of each guide groove. The storage and retrieval unit has a conveyor device in order to transport the object or the objects into a shelf compartment.

An endless conveyor belt can belong to this conveyor.

With an endless conveyor belt, however, the object can only be transported until the frictional connection to the conveyor belt is eliminated. In this position, the object in question still protrudes beyond the edge of the shelf. Advantageously, therefore, a further slide is available to completely create the object on the shelf.

So that the objects on the storage and retrieval machine cannot stand transversely, the storage and retrieval machine has an adjustable guide wall.

In addition, further developments of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.

When studying the description of the figures, it also becomes clear that a number of modifications are possible which are caused by the respective circumstances or adjustments. To describe these modifications in addition would unnecessarily inflate the scope of the figure description.

In the drawing, an embodiment of the object of the invention is shown. Show it:

Fig. 1, the shelf warehouse according to the invention in a simplified perspective view,

2 is a broken perspective view of one of the shelves of the shelf warehouse of FIG. 1,

3 shows the section according to FIG. 2, equipped with sliders,

1 in a sectional side view, together with the coupling means of the storage and retrieval unit,

Fig. 5, the slide of Fig. 4, in a plan view from above.

Fig. 6, the storage and retrieval unit of the shelf warehouse according to Fig. 1, in a perspective view and schematic, and

Fig. 7-15 the interaction between the storage and retrieval machine and the slide in the shelf when removing an object using individual configurations, in a schematic plan view from above.

In FIG. 1, a shelf storage 1 is shown in perspective and schematically, as can be used, for example, in pharmacies for storing and storing packaged or unpacked medicaments that have a relatively short handling time. The products are chaotically stored in the shelf storage 1, whereby in a computer system, not shown, is kept in a record of where which medication is stored.

The rack storage 1 includes two mutually opposing rack frames 2a and 2b, which are spaced apart with their broad sides. They are connected to one another at an upper transverse edge. In the space between the two rack frames 2a and 2b two vertical pillars 3a and 3b protrude, on which a storage and retrieval unit (FIG. 7) is guided vertically.

Each of the two rack frames 2 has a cuboidal outer shape, with only the edges of the cuboid existing.

The rack frame 2b is composed of 3 vertically projecting pillars 5, 6, 7, which are connected at their ends by cross struts 9, 11 and corresponding cross struts below, of which only the cross struts 14, 15 and '16 can be seen. Parallel to the cross struts 9 and 11 are further cross struts 12 and 13 which are connected to one another at the end as shown; the corresponding fourth pillar is missing there. The pillars 5 ... 7 and the cross struts 9 ... 16 are each rigidly connected to one another at the corners.

The rack frame 2a is constructed in the same way with the same dimensions, which is why a further explanation is unnecessary. The reference numerals of the rack 2b apply in the same way to the mirror-image construction elements of the rack 17b.

There are two in each of the two rack frames 2a and 2b Draw frames 17a and 17b housed longitudinally displaceable. They are suspended, for example, by means of ball guides (not shown) which are known per se in the respective rack frame 2a, 2b above, for which purpose these guide elements are expediently attached in the region of the upper cross struts 9 and 12. That way they are. 1, as can be seen from the example of the drawing frame 17a in FIG. 1, can be pulled out to the narrow side of the two racking frames 2a, 2b facing the viewer. The pulling out in the opposite direction is blocked so that the two drawing frames 17 have a defined end position in the relevant rack frame 2 in the inserted state. As mentioned above, the fourth pillar is missing and the two crossbeams 13 are directly connected to one another so that the drawing frames 17 can reach the storage and retrieval unit without a noticeable gap.

Similar to the rack frame 2, the draw frame 17a is a cuboid structure, of which only the edges are in the form of vertically extending struts 18, 19, 21, 22 and transverse struts 23,... 29 arranged at the respective ends. Because of the illustration, the rear lower cross strut of the drawing frame 17a is covered.

The drawing frame 17b is designed in the same way as the drawing frame 17a, which is why a new description is unnecessary. The reference numerals of the drawing frame 17a apply analogously to the mirror-image construction elements of the drawing frame 17b.

As can also be seen in FIG. 1, both the rack frame 2 and the pull frame 17 form relatively large flat sides which are parallel to one another in any operating position. are aligned. These flat sides, with which the two rack frames 2a and 2b are opposite each other, are referred to as the front side, that is to say those flat sides which are directly adjacent to the intermediate space between which the rack operating device 4 moves.

The flat pages from the far side are regarded as the back sides. Between the vertical struts 18 and 22 of each drawing frame 17 extend horizontally and thus parallel to the cross strut 24 and 26, a plurality of crossbars 31 are adjustably connected to the vertical struts 18 and 22. They are adjustable in the sense that they can be attached to the two vertical struts 18 and 19 at any height, but they are always arranged in a horizontal orientation.

Each of the cross beams 31 carries an associated shelf plate 32, which is flat and flat. All shelf boards have the same spatial depth, measured from the front of the relevant draw frame. The depth is dimensioned in such a way that the largest packaging unit to be expected is to be accommodated in its length in depth on the shelf between the front and the back. If the packagings are smaller, several different packagings can be stored in a row in order to utilize the depth.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show identical sections from one of the shelf plates 32. In plan view, each shelf plate 32 is rectangular with a long narrow side 33 facing the viewer, later also referred to as the front, and a flat contact surface 34. The underside, which the viewer sees turned away is not recognizable.

A plurality of guide grooves 35 are contained equidistantly next to one another in the shelf base plate 32. The guide grooves 35 start from the long narrow side 33 and lead to the rear narrow side parallel to the narrow side 33, which is turned away from the viewer and cannot be seen in the broken view. This narrow side is located on the back of the respective rack frame 2a or 2b. Each of the straight guide grooves 35 is composed of a groove chamber 36 which is circular in cross section and a groove slot 37 which is rectangular and which opens upwards in the direction through the bearing surface 34.

On a short piece facing the narrow side 33, the groove chamber 36 is widened in a funnel shape at 38. The same applies to a funnel-shaped extension 39 for the slot slot 37.

As can easily be seen from the illustration, shelf plate 32 can expediently be produced as a section of an extruded profile which has the thickness of the shelf 32 and whose width corresponds to the length of the narrow side 33.

Slides 40 are seated in selected guide grooves 35, which are shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In which of the guide grooves 35 slides 40 are used depends on the loading of the respective shelf plate 32 with objects to be stored. As can be seen from the functional description given below, the maximum distance that two adjacent guide grooves 35 have from one another depends on the smallest packaging that is to be stored in the shelf storage 1. It is assumed that the object rests on the shelf plate 32 with the side that gives the greatest positional stability. This surface is generally rectangular, the long edge of the rectangle being aligned parallel to the longitudinal extent of the guide groove 35.

The slides 40 are identical to one another. Each slide 40 has the shape of an "L" in plan view with a long leg 41 and a short leg 42, which are perpendicular to each other. The length of the long leg 41 corresponds approximately to the depth of the shelf plate 32, i.e. when the slide 40 is pushed in, no part of the slide 40 projects beyond the shelf plate 32 to one side.

The length of the short leg 42 is shorter than the distance between two adjacent guide grooves 35.

The long leg 41 is formed by a straight plastic rod which is approximately semicircular in cross section. This rod is expediently an extrusion profile.

The short leg 42 is made of the same plastic material. However, it is rectangular in cross section and integrally connected to the rod material for the long leg 41.

Due to the semicircular shape, the long Ge leg 41, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in part in the slot 37. However, the long leg 41 cannot completely immerse in the slot 37, since its width, measured in the transverse direction, is greater than the width of the slot slot 37.

Fig. 2, which is not otherwise to scale, roughly represents the relation here.

Accordingly, the cross section of the short leg 42 is chosen, which is purely rectangular. This part is fastened to the long leg 41 in such a way that when the long leg 41 assumes the position shown in FIG. 2, the leg 42 rests with its lower flat side to a certain extent on the bearing surface 34.

The slide 40 is guided in the guide groove 36 with the aid of two sliding bodies 43 and 44, which are connected via short stems 45 and 46 to the underside of the long leg 41, as shown in FIG. 4. The stems 45 and 46 are short cylindrical pins with a diameter smaller than the width of the groove slot 37. The sliding body 43 has the shape of a ball with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the groove chamber 36. The sliding body 44 is an ellipsoid of revolution, whose small diameter corresponds to the diameter of the ball 43. The sliding body 44 is located at the front end of the long leg 41, while the sliding body 43 is provided approximately in the region of the transition from the long leg 41 to the short leg 42, as can be seen in FIG. 5. In the vicinity of the front end of the long leg 41, the slide 40 contains a short slot 47. The axis of the opening of the slot 47 is perpendicular to the support. area 34.

When the slide 40 described is inserted into the associated guide groove 35, its semi-circular underside rests on the edges of the slot 37. In this position, the two sliding bodies 43 and 44 float approximately centrally in the guide cam 36 when no additional external forces act.

6, the already mentioned storage and retrieval unit 50 is shown in a perspective, simplified representation. The storage and retrieval unit 50 runs on two rails 51a and 51b, which run parallel next to one another and are guided vertically between the two pillars 3a. In this way, the two rails 51a and 51b can be moved up and down between the two rack frames 2a and 2b as desired. Furthermore, the storage and retrieval unit 50 can be moved back and forth as desired along the rails 51a and 51b between the two racking frames 2a and 2b. Furthermore, the storage and retrieval unit 5 can be moved in the horizontal direction along the rails 51a and 51b between the pillars 3a and 3b. In this way, the storage and retrieval unit 50 can be brought into any position in front of the shelf plates 32.

The storage and retrieval unit 50 includes a support slide 52 which runs on the two guide rails 51a and 51b. The support slide contains guide grooves 53 which are at a distance from one another at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the guide rails 51a and 51b. With these guide grooves 53, a rectangular base plate 54 is guided with the aid of sliding blocks 56. The base plate 54 carries on its upper side a conveyor belt 57, a support arrangement 58 for a push element 59, a guide rail 60 and a guide arrangement 61 for a driver arrangement 62.

The conveyor belt 57 has two axially parallel deflection rollers 63, which are mounted parallel between two side cheeks and at a distance from each other. One side cheek is formed by the guide rail 60 and the other side cheek by a web 64. The drive means for the conveyor belt 57 are not shown in detail since they are not essential for understanding the invention. It is only important to note that the front deflecting roller is located on the side of the storage and retrieval unit 50 facing away from the viewer, specifically directly above the edge of the base plate 54 located there. The side cheek 54 also extends to this edge, just like the guide rail 60 does. In its upper side, which is aligned with the working side of the conveyor belt 57, the guide rail 60 contains a guide groove 65 which corresponds in structure and dimensioning to grooves 35 in the shelf plates 32. The explanation given there with regard to the design also applies in an identical manner to the guide groove 65. The guide groove 65 lies parallel to the path of the conveyor belt 57 and is located with its guide slot directly at the level of the working run of the conveyor belt 57 running above.

At a distance from the guide rail 60 there is, in addition to the right side of the base plate 54 as seen by the viewer, a bar 66 which extends over the entire depth of the base plate 54. A guide rail 67 is attached to this bar 66, which is indicated schematically and on which the driver arrangement 62 is guided. The driver arrangement 62 is composed of a slide ten 68 and a support arm 69 together. The carriage 68 runs on the guide rail 67, while the support arm 69 protrudes toward the front edge of the base plate 64. The support arm 69 is located directly above the guide rail 60 and also has its width. The width of the guide rail 60 is only insignificantly larger than is required to accommodate the guide groove 35.

On the underside of the support arm 69 there is a pin 70 pointing downwards, as can be seen in FIG. 4. The pin 70 is aligned with the slot of the guide groove 65 and extends almost down to the level which is formed by the top of the guide rail 60.

On the side opposite the bar 66, a wall 71 protrudes from the base plate 54 and is aligned parallel to the bar 66 and the path of the conveyor belt 57.

Two guide rails 72 and 73 extend from the upper edge of the wall 71 and are aligned at right angles to the path of the conveyor belt 57. With the help of these two guide rails 72, 73, the support arrangement 58 is attached in a hanging manner and can be adjusted in the direction transverse to the travel path of the conveyor belt 57 by adjusting drives (not shown).

The support arrangement 58 has an approximately U-shaped shape when viewed in cross section, and has a lower plate 74 which is aligned parallel to the working drum of the conveyor belt 27. The plate 57 forms a leading edge 75 and a stop edge 76 running at right angles thereto. The leading edge 75 in turn runs parallel to the Travel path of the conveyor belt 57 and extends to the front end of the conveyor belt 57.

There is a further guide rail 77 on the plate 74, which in turn is aligned parallel to the path of the conveyor belt 57 and on which a carriage 78 runs. The carriage 78 pivotally carries the thrust member 59, which can be rotated about a pivot axis parallel to the guide rail 77 from the position shown in FIG. 6 to an upwardly pivoted position. For this purpose, the thrust member 59 has an arm 79 articulated on the slide 78 and an extension 81 pointing in the running direction of the conveyor belt 57.

If the design regulations do not directly result from the above description, they are defined by the following functional description of the arrangement.

In the following, the front side of the storage and retrieval unit 50 is understood to mean the side that is closest to the shelf base plate 32. On the other hand, the side 32 that is directly adjacent to the storage and retrieval unit 50 is referred to as the front of the shelf base plate.

To explain the function of the rack storage 1, reference is made to FIGS. 7-15, in which different operating positions are shown. The figures illustrate the interaction of the storage and retrieval unit 50 with stored objects or the slides 40 running on the shelf plates.

As a starting position, it is assumed that two medication packs 85 and 86 are placed on a shelf base plate. lie one above the other. The two medication packs 85 and 86 lie in an alley, which is delimited on both sides by a slide 40 and a corresponding slide 40 '. To the rear, the alley is delimited by the short driver arm 42 of the slide 40.

Pack 86 is intended to be removed. For this purpose, the storage and retrieval machine moves in front of the alley in which the two medication packs 85 and 86 lie one behind the other along the loading path. The storage and retrieval device is started up at a level at which the lower edge of the pin 70 first moves above a level which is defined by the upper sides of the slides 40. The correct position in the longitudinal direction of the shelf plate 32 is reached as soon as the arm 69 is aligned with the slide 40. In this position, the base plate 44 moves forward with all the transport devices on the support plate 52 in the direction of the shelf plate 32, as can be seen in FIG. 7. Now the drive for the slide 68 is started and the driver pin 70 is brought into a position above the driver opening 47 of the slide 40 in this way. After reaching this position, the guide rails 51a and 51b are lowered. As a result of the lowering, the driving pin 70 penetrates into the driving opening 47. The lowering movement is stopped when the horizontally running working run of the conveyor belt 57 lies in a plane with the plane which is formed by the contact surface 34 of the shelf plate 32.

The position according to FIG. 7 is thus completely reached. The drive for the carriage 68 is now set in motion in the opposite direction. Here- by pulling the slide 40 out of the associated guide groove 35 on the shelf plate 32 into the guide groove 65 of the guide rail 60. The transition is facilitated because the guide groove 65 is funnel-shaped on its side opposite the shelf at 32 in the same way as was explained with reference to FIG. 2 for the guide groove 35. When the slide 40 is pulled up onto the storage and retrieval unit 50, the leg 42 pushes the two medication packs 85 and 86 in the direction of the storage and retrieval unit 50.

Simultaneously with the switching on of the drive for the carriage 68, the drive for the conveyor belt 57 was started. The working span of the conveyor belt 57 moves in the same direction as the carriage 68, but at a higher path speed. As soon as a sufficient piece of the medication pack 86 has been pulled onto the storage and retrieval unit 50, the driving force is predominant by the conveyor belt 57, which is why the medication pack 86 travels at a greater speed than the medication pack 85. This creates a gap that can be detected by a photo sensor , As soon as the photo sensor (not shown) sees this gap, the drive with the slide 68 is stopped, which stops the advance movement for the medicament pack 85. In this condition, the leading end of the medication pack 85 will not yet have reached the edge of the conveyor belt 57, i.e. there is still no frictional connection, which strives to also transport the medication pack 85 onto the storage and retrieval unit 50.

The running of the conveyor belt 57 brings the medication pack 86 up to the stop 76 where the running path hear.

In order that the medication pack 86 cannot move sideways on the storage and retrieval unit 50, the distance between the guide rail 60 and the guide edge 75 was adjusted by adjusting the guide arrangement 58 to the width of the medication pack, i.e. adjusted to the width of the alley between the two carriages 40 and 40 '.

As soon as the setting according to FIG. 9 is reached, the drive for the conveyor belt 57 is switched off.

According to FIG. 10, the slide 40 is pushed back into its starting position with the aid of the slide 68 which is coupled to the slide 40 via the pin 70. In the starting position, no part of the slide 40 protrudes beyond the front edge 33 of the shelf plate 32.

The pushing member 59 is now brought into the position according to FIG. 6, in which the extension 81 points in the direction of the medicament pack 85. By starting the drive for the slide 58, the thrust member 59 is moved with the arm 81 in the direction of the medication pack 85. As soon as the carriage 78 has arrived at the front edge of the storage and retrieval unit 50, the drive is stopped. The medication pack 85 is then completely behind the front edge 33 from the perspective of the storage and retrieval unit. This position is shown in Fig. 11.

The thrust member 81 is pulled back again with the aid of the slide 78 and then placed upright, as a result of which it has disappeared again from the clearance profile of the medication pack 86. Then the shelf Operating device 50 a little upwards in order to free the pin 70 pointing downwards from the driver opening 47.

After the driver pin 70 has been uncoupled from the driver opening 47, the carriage 68 with the driver pin 40 attached to it moves back until no part protrudes beyond the front of the storage and retrieval unit 50.

Subsequently, the base plate 54 moves back on the support plate 53 according to FIG. 12, so that there is no longer any risk of collision between the storage and retrieval unit 50 and the shelf base plate 32. The support plate 52 is in each case a relatively large distance from the front edge 33 of the shelf plate 32, as can be seen in FIG. 12.

FIG. 12 also shows how the medication pack 85 has now pushed back into the storage aisle while the medication pack 86 is on the storage and retrieval unit. 13 now moves to a conveyor belt 88 which leads away and runs, for example, above the rack frame. Once there, the base plate 54 is pushed forward by the support plate 52 until there is practically no longer any gap between the conveyor belt 57 and the conveyor belt 88 running transversely thereto. By starting the conveyor belt 57 according to FIG. 14, the medication pack 86 is pushed onto the conveyor belt 88 running transversely thereto.

At the end of the sliding movement, the last remainder of the required transport path is accomplished with the aid of the push member 81, as has already been explained in detail in connection with FIG. 11. Another repetition the functional sequence is therefore not necessary here.

In the end, the medication pack 86 is thus transferred to the conveyor belt 88 leading away and can be taken to the drugstore.

For the sake of simplicity, the functional sequence was explained using only two medication packs. It is not difficult to see how the process takes place if, instead of two medication packs, three or more medication packs are stored in the alley and a medium pack is removed. In this case, after the delivery of the medication pack 86 according to FIG. 15, the remaining medication packs that are not required would remain on the conveyor belt 57. In this case, the storage and retrieval unit 50 would move back into the position according to FIG. 11 and, with the aid of the conveyor belt 57, would reclaim the medication packs still on the storage and retrieval unit together with the pushing element 81, similarly as in connection with FIG. 11 is already explained. Only the slide 68 would no longer be required for this because the slide 40 is already in its end position.

A changing width of the aisle can be brought about simply by removing the carriage 40 ', for example, with the aid of the storage and retrieval device 50. For this purpose, the slide 40 is pulled completely onto the storage and retrieval unit 50. This takes place, as explained above, with the aid of the driver pin 70. As soon as the slide 40 lies completely on the rack operating device 50, it is brought in front of a suitable guide groove 35 with the help of the rack operating device and inserted there again. This can be done without further the width of the alley can be varied. In the extreme state, the width can also be reduced to the distance between two adjacent guide grooves 35.

Since the long legs 41 of the slider 40, as is evident from the explanation, also form the boundary of an alley at the same time, the aisle division can be adapted to the requirements at any time by repositioning the slider as described above. Rigid planning is not necessary. Rather, the system can adjust the aisle width as required. On the other hand, the objects between the sliders are inevitably positioned and cannot move across even when shaken. In particular, the medication packs that are in motion are separated from the stationary medication packs in the neighboring alley by a slide when the shelf plate 32 is removed or pushed up. Even if they were to jam, it would be impossible for them to collide with other dormant medicine packs in other alleys. The movement of a slide 40 itself has no influence on the state of the medicine packs at rest in the neighboring alley.

Accidental withdrawal of pushers 40 by medicine packets, which the rack feeder 50 to the transversely displaceable part is located between a moving and provided for the transport slide ^¬ than 40 and to prevent the adjacent vane 40 which is at rest, to virtually immediately the front edge 33 of the shelf plate. Thus, any movement of the slide located at at rest is forcedly ^¬ provisionally locked 40 ', even if the movable medication packs should misleadingly go wrong.

A shelf warehouse for the chaotic storage, in particular of small packs, such as are provided in pharmacies, has shelves, which each represent flat support surfaces. Each shelf has several guide grooves in parallel next to each other, into which sliders can optionally be inserted. These slides are used both for the mechanical separation of alleys, within which the medication packs can be stored, and at the same time as a driver for pulling the medication packs down from the shelf. As a result, the width of such an aisle can be changed at any time by inserting the slides into other guide grooves.

Claims

Claims:

1. shelf storage (1) with at least one shelf (32) which has a flat support surface (34) for objects to be stored (85, 86) and which contains at least one recessed guide groove (35), the cross-section () of which consists of a groove chamber ( 36) and a groove slot (37), the groove slot (37) opening upwards through the bearing surface (34), at least one elongated slide (40) which is displaceably seated in the at least one guide groove (35) and which has a driver (42) which is oriented transversely to the guide groove (35) to convey the object (10) or objects (85, 86) down from the shelf (32) and which has an elongated separating member (41) which at least in sections over the contact surface (34) in the longitudinal direction () of the guide groove (35), the separating member (42-) having a length, measured in the direction parallel to the guide groove (35), which corresponds to the depth of the usable for storageThe shelf (32) corresponds to a shelf operating device (50) which is set up to be moved in front of each of the shelf compartments (10) and drive means (62) for the slide (40) which are arranged on the shelf operating device (50) and which are set up to be coupled to the slide (40), optionally releasably, in order to set the slide (40) in motion at least in the sense of moving objects (85, 86) out of the shelf compartment ().

2. shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized marked net that the shelf warehouse (1) has a plurality of shelves (32).

3. Shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that the shelf (32) is substantially flat.

4. Shelf warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that the shelf (32) is aligned horizontally.

5. Shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that the shelf (32) in at least one axis (), preferably in two axes (), is aligned horizontally.

6. Shelf warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that the shelf (32) consists of an extruded profile ().

7. shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that in the shelf (32) a plurality of grooves

(35) are included in parallel.

8. Shelf storage according to claim 7, characterized in that the grooves (35) are distributed equidistantly next to one another along the length extension () of the shelf (32).

9. shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that the shelf (32) forms a rectangular bearing surface (34).

10. Shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that the long edge (33) of the shelf (32) the re- galloperator (50) faces.

11. Shelf warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove chamber (35) has a circular cross section ().

12. Shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove chamber (35) has a section () adjacent to the storage and retrieval unit (50), in which the groove chamber (36) widens in a funnel shape.

13. A rack storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that the slot slot (37) has a section () adjacent to the storage and retrieval unit (), in which the slot slot (37) widens.

14. Shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (40) has only two guide bodies (43, 44) which run in the groove chamber (36).

15. Shelf storage according to claim 14, characterized in that the two guide bodies (43, 44) are spaced apart from one another over the length of the slide (40).

16. Shelf storage according to claim 14, characterized in that the one guide body (43) has the shape of a ball ().

17. The shelf storage according to claim 14, characterized ^¬ net that a guide body (44) preferably having gekennzeich the guide body (44) which is adjacent to the storage and retrieval unit (50) the shape of an ellipsoid of revolution ().

18. Shelf warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that the separating member (41) is formed by a rod ().

19. Shelf storage according to claim 14, characterized in that the separating member (41) is connected via pins (45, 46) to the guide bodies (43, 44) which pass through the slot (37) upwards.

20. Shelf storage according to claim 19, characterized in that the length of the pin (45,46) is selected such that the rod (42) forming the separating member () rests on the edges () of the slot slot (37) while the guide body (43,44) in the groove chamber (36) have no contact with the wall.

21. Shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that when the slider (40) is inserted, the slider (40) does not project at any point over that edge of the shelf (32) which is adjacent to the storage and retrieval unit (50).

22. A rack storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (40) has a coupling means (48) which is complementary to a coupling means (70) which is located on the storage and retrieval unit (50).

23. Shelf storage according to claim 22, characterized in that the coupling means (48) is formed by a bore (), the axis () of which is vertical.

24. Shelf warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling means (70) on the storage and retrieval unit () is formed by a pin ().

25. Shelf storage according to claim 24, characterized in that the pin (70) is part of a hook () which opens downwards.

26. Shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that the hook (70) is seated on an arm (68) which in the storage and retrieval unit (50) is parallel to the longitudinal extent () of the guide groove (35) in the shelf (32). is movable.

27. A shelf storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage and retrieval unit (50) is guided in guide means () which are set up to bring the storage and retrieval unit () in front of each shelf compartment ().

28. Shelf storage according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage and retrieval unit (50) has at least one conveyor (57, 58) in order to transport the article () or the articles (85, 86) into a shelf compartment ().

29. Shelf warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor (57, 58) comprises an endless conveyor belt (57).

30. Shelf storage according to claim 29, characterized in that the storage and retrieval unit (50) has an adjustable guide wall (75) which extends in the direction parallel to the loading path () and the guide surface

() is aligned vertically.

31. Shelf warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in net that the storage and retrieval unit (50) has a guide groove (65) which has the same cross section () as the guide groove (35) in the shelf (32).